Panthers Ink 2003 Draft Picks; Buy Out Mathieu Biron

[VodkaFish]

SUNRISE, FL – Florida Panthers General Manager Mike Keenan announced today that C Stefan Meyer and D Martin Lojek have been signed to an entry-level contracts.

Meyer, 20, paced the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers with 34 goals and 77 points in 69 contests last year. He also posted a career best 43 assists. Meyer completed the season placing eighth among WHL leaders in overall point scoring. He was selected by the Panthers with their fourth choice (second round, 55th overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Lojek, 19, has spent the last three seasons with the OHL’s Brampton Battalion. For his career with the club, he played in 191 contests recording 47 points (5-42-47). The 6-foot-5 220-pound defenseman has helped Brampton reach the postseason each year since he joined the team. Lojek was selected by the Panthers with their fifth choice (fourth round, 105th overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

The Panthers were unable to reach a contractual agreement with C Dany Roussin, Florida’s seventh round choice, 223rd overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Roussin is eligible to enter into this weekend’s 2005 NHL Entry Draft to be held in Otttawa.

Panthers Buy Out D Mathieu Biron

Panthers General Manger Mike Keenan also announced today that the team has bought out the contract of D Mathieu Biron under the compliance rules of the new collective bargaining agreement. Biron becomes an unrestricted free agent on August 1.

Biron, 25 played in 91 career games for the Cats recording 22 points (4-18-22) and 65 penalty minutes. He was acquired by Florida on Oct. 4, 2002 in exchange for RW Petr Tenkrat.