Zenon Konopka Joins Ottawa
 

OTTAWA - Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray announced today the club has signed forward Zenon Konopka to a one-year contract.

Konopka, 30, spent the 2010-11 season with the New York Islanders, for whom he appeared in each of the team’s 82 games and led the National Hockey League with 307 penalty minutes. He also recorded NHL career highs with seven assists and nine points while finishing the season ranked fourth in the league with a 57.7 per cent faceoff success rate.

Prior to joining the Islanders, the native of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., spent the two previous seasons in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. Konopka registered five points (two goals, three assists) while skating in 74 games for Tampa Bay in 2009-10 and led the NHL with 265 penalty minutes that season. He also recorded a 62.3 per cent success rate in faceoffs.

Konopka spent his entire major junior career with the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s, appearing in 242 games over four seasons from 1998 to 2002 while registering 185 points (53 goals, 132 assists) and 389 penalty minutes.

Undrafted, Konopka made his NHL debut with the (then) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim during the 2005-06 season. He also played parts of two seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets before signing with Tampa Bay prior to the 2008-09 campaign. In 195 NHL contests, Konopka has registered 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) and 684 penalty minutes.

Laaaaaame. Of all the teams, Ottawa?

Wow imagine a possible Neil-Konopka-Lessard line.:o

Now Chris Neil will have someone to hide behind;)

Nice signing. God i hate you Homer

Seriously, I'm kinda baffled he's signing in Ottawa for peanuts. Sounded like there was interest from around the league, you'd think he could get a decent contract from a decent team. Played junior there, he must really like it there. Oh well, his choice to play in obscurity rather than becoming a star.

Won't really put fear in anyone, but is a servicable middle/light heavy who will be able to take other fighters off the ice allowing Carkner and Neil to run rampant in blow out games.

Glad he's still in the East.

You figure this should help Carkner as well, because Z will be more then happy to take some of the load off of his hands. The thought of Neil, Konopka, Carkner, and Lessard is unreal.

Boo! I wanted Lou to sign him and get rid of the waste of space Steckel!

He'll be traded to a playoff team at the deadline.

Zenon is a good face-off man and it's not like Ottawa has that much to play for

Good pick up for Ottawa. Could be fun to watch if they dress all their tough players.

Speaking of they're toughness.....will Zack Smith play regularly?

Damn... like many others, I was hoping he'd come to my team and provide some toughness on the 3rd/4th line.

Should be fun to see how Niel, Carkner, Lessard and Z all mesh together on that club.

Poor guy can't find a decent team to play on.