New York, February 26, 2011 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has acquired defenseman Bryan McCabe from the Florida Panthers in exchange for forward Tim Kennedy and a third round draft pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
“Bryan McCabe adds an established veteran presence to our young defensive corps,” stated Sather. “He can help provide offense with his strong shot on the power play, and his versatility allows him to play either the left or right side effectively. Bryan also brings outstanding leadership qualities, having served as team captain for Florida for the past two seasons.”
McCabe, 35, has eclipsed the 40-point plateau five times, including three seasons of 50 or more points, and was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 2004. The 15-year NHL veteran skated in his 1,000th career game on November 6, 2009 vs. Washington, and was named Florida’s captain on September 23, 2009.
McCabe has registered five goals and 17 assists for 22 points, along with 28 penalty minutes in 48 games with Florida this season. He ranked third on the Panthers in assists, and ranked second among all Florida defensemen in points and tied for second in goals. He was also tied for third on the team with five power play assists, and fourth with seven power play points and a plus-three rating. McCabe tied a career-high and established a Panthers’ franchise record for defensemen with four assists on October 16 vs. Tampa Bay. He also posted a season-high, five-game scoring streak from December 15 vs. Carolina to December 23 at Buffalo, registering six points (three goals, three assists) over the span.
The 6-2, 223-pounder enjoyed his most productive season in 2005-06 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, establishing career-highs with 19 goals, 49 assists and 68 points in 73 games. He also set career marks with 13 power play goals, 32 power play assists, 45 power play points, and six game-winning goals. McCabe ranked third among NHL defensemen in points and goals, and sixth in assists. He was named the NHL’s Offensive Player of the Week for the period ending November 19, 2005, registering seven points (three goals, four assists) in three games.
The St. Catharines, Ontario native has skated in 1,116 career regular season games with the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Florida Panthers, registering 143 goals and 379 assists for 522 points, along with 1,726 penalty minutes and a plus-35 rating. As a rookie with the Islanders in 1995-96, McCabe registered seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points, along with 156 penalty minutes in 82 games. He made his NHL debut on October 7, 1995 at Boston, and recorded his first NHL point with a goal on October 31, 1995 at Florida. McCabe has also skated in 51 career playoff contests with Toronto, registering 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points, along with 70 penalty minutes and a plus-six rating.
Internationally, McCabe has won four gold medals as a member of Team Canada, including the 1997 World Championship in Finland. McCabe was also selected to represent Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy, registering 18 penalty minutes in six tournament contests.
McCabe was originally selected as the New York Islanders’ second round choice, 40th overall, in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.
Kennedy, 24, has registered 12 goals and 30 assists for 42 points, along with 44 penalty minutes in 53 games with the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL) this season. He signed with the Rangers as a free agent on August 30, 2010
