RALEIGH, NC – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has acquired defenseman Bryan Allen from the Florida Panthers in exchange for left wing Sergei Samsonov.

“Bryan is a good addition to our defense,” said Rutherford. “He has great character and experience and will add size and grit to our team.”

Allen, 30, has totaled four goals, eight assists (12 points) and 63 penalty minutes while averaging 19:12 of ice time per game in 53 contests for the Panthers in 2010-11. The Kingston, Ont., native leads Florida defenseman in hits (83) and ranks fourth among Panthers skaters in blocked shots (76) this season. Originally selected in the first round, fourth overall, by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Allen (6’4”, 220 lbs.) has tallied 28 goals, 71 assists (99 points) and 629 penalty minutes in 500 career NHL games with Vancouver and Florida. Allen's career statistics can be found here.