RALEIGH, NC – Jason Karmanos, Vice President and Assistant General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced today that the team has signed free agent right wing Joey Tetarenko to a one-year contract. As per club policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

"Joey adds some depth and toughness to our organization,” said Karmanos. “He is a hard-nosed character player who will challenge to make the team in September."

Tetarenko (6’2’’, 215 lbs.) split last season between the Florida Panthers’ and Ottawa Senators’ organizations. He played four games in the NHL with Florida and Ottawa, totaling nine penalty minutes. In 64 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) with San Antonio and Binghamton, Tetarenko tallied 20 points (6g, 14a) and 156 penalty minutes. A fourth-round draft choice (82nd overall) of the Panthers in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, Florida traded Tetarenko to Ottawa on March 4 in exchange for Simon Lajeunesse. Tetarenko, 25, became a Group 6 free agent following the season.

Tetarenko has totaled five points (4g, 1a) and 176 penalty minutes in 71 career NHL games. He played one season (1998-99) under current Hurricanes assistant coach Kevin McCarthy with New Haven of the AHL. A native of Prince Albert, Sask., Tetarenko captained Portland of the Western Hockey League (WHL) to the Memorial Cup title in 1998.