ANAHEIM, Calif. – The
Anaheim Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed defenseman
Toni Lydman (pronounced LUDE-man) to a three-year contract through the 2012-13 NHL season.
Lydman, 32 (9/25/77), appeared in 67 games for the
Buffalo Sabres last season, collecting 4-16=20 points with a +10 rating and 30 penalty minutes (PIM). He also added 0-1=1 point in six Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Sabres. Among Buffalo defensemen, Lydman ranked first in hits (126), second in blocked shots (98) and third in plus/minus and shots (77) during the regular season.
Originally selected by the
Calgary Flames in the fourth round (89th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, Lydman has played nine NHL seasons with Calgary (2000-04) and Buffalo (2005-10). In 660 career NHL games, Lydman has scored 33-165=198 points with a +14 rating and 451 PIM. He is also a veteran of 46 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, earning 3-8=11 points with 40 PIM. In his last six campaigns dating back to 2003-04, Lydman has posted a +36 rating during the regular season.
A native of Lahti, Finland, Lydman has appeared in the last two Olympic Winter Games for his native country, winning a bronze medal in 2010 at Vancouver and silver in 2006 at Turin. He appeared in six Olympic contests during the 2010 Games in Vancouver, going scoreless with a +1 rating and two PIM. Lydman has also played for Finland at the World Championships (1998, 1999) and World Cup (2004). Prior to joining the NHL in 2000-01, Lydman played four seasons in the Finnish Elite League, earning 13-37=50 points with 185 PIM in 185 games.