RALEIGH, NC – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with left wing Alexei Ponikarovsky (al-EHX-ay poh-nih-kahr-OHV-skee) on a one-year contract worth $1.5 million.

“Alexei is a big forward and a very good skater who brings 10 years of NHL experience to the Hurricanes,” said Rutherford. “He plays a strong two-way game and has shown that he can put up good offensive numbers.”

Ponikarovsky, 31, notched five goals and earned 10 assists (15 points) in 61 games with the Los Angeles Kings in 2010-11, despite missing 18 games due to injury. He averaged 12:35 of ice time per game, and ranked seventh among Kings forwards with a plus-1 plus/minus rating. Ponikarovsky (6’4”, 229 lbs.) has scored 121 goals, earned 160 assists (281 points) and compiled a plus-51 plus/minus rating in 554 career NHL regular-season games with Toronto, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. He was originally drafted by the Maple Leafs in the fourth round, 87th overall, in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. Ponikarovsky’s career statistics can be found here.