BOURQUE, PINIZZOTTO, AND WILSON SIGN FOR 2009-10

July 16, 2009

From capitals.nhl.com ARLINGTON, Va. â€" The Washington Capitals have signed defenseman Shaone Morrisonn and forwards Eric Fehr, Chris Bourque and Kyle Wilson to one-year contracts and forward Steve Pinizzotto to a two year-contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deals were not disclosed. Morrisonn, 26, completed his fourth full season with the Capitals in 2008-09 and tied his career high with three goals. He also added 10 assists and tied for third among club defensemen with 13 points, one point off of the career high he registered in 2005-06. Morrisonn scored the game-winning goal in overtime on Dec. 23 at the New York Rangers to help the Capitals erase a four-goal deficit and win 5-4. He had his best month of the season in February when he recorded two goals and three assists. He ended the season with a +4 rating, averaged 17:59 of ice time per game and his 77 penalty minutes tied for second on the team. The Caps were 8-2-2 when Morrisonn recorded a point (3-0-0 when he scored a goal). The Vancouver, British Columbia native was acquired from the Boston Bruins in 2004 and has played 350 career NHL games, 309 of them for the Capitals. He has been a plus player in each year of his NHL career and has 58 points (9g-49a) and 355 penalty minutes. In 21 Stanley Cup playoff games â€" all with the Capitals â€" Morrison has two assists and 14 penalty minutes. Fehr, 23, spent his first full year with the Capitals last season after splitting time between Washington and Hershey of the American Hockey League (AHL) the past three years. He set career highs in goals (12), assists (13) and points (25) while averaging 11:14 of ice time. Fehr’s +8 rating tied him with Alex Ovechkin for the fifth-best mark on the team. Washington was 39-16-6 when he played and only 11-8-2 when he did not play. He tallied two game-winning goals and the team was 10-1-1 when he scored a goal and 16-3-1 when he had a point. The Winkler, Manitoba, native was the Capitals’ first-round choice, 18th overall, in the 2003 Entry Draft. He has played in 109 career games for Washington, potting 15 goals and dishing out 19 assists. He was also an integral member of the Hershey club that won the 2006 Calder Cup. In 19 playoff games that year, he had eight goals, three assists and scored the overtime game-winning goal in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to lift the Bears to the Calder Cup Final. Bourque, 23, appeared in eight games for the Capitals last season and scored his first NHL goal on Dec. 30 at Buffalo. He played in 69 games for Hershey and tallied 21 goals and was second on the team with 52 assists. His 73 points ranked third on the team. Bourque played in 22 Calder Cup playoff games, recording 21 points (5g-16a), as he helped lead Hershey to the Calder Cup championship. The Boston, Mass., native was the Capitals’ second-round choice, 33rd overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He has played in 12 career game for Washington and has one goal. He has 82 goals and 148 assists in four seasons with Hershey. Wilson, 24, spent his third season with Hershey in 2008-09, finishing fifth on the Bears in scoring with 58 points (28 goals, 30 assists) in 80 games. He was third on the Bears in goals and tied for fourth with seven power-play goals. Wilson added 10 points (three goals, seven assists) while playing all 22 playoff games in the Bears’ run to the Calder Cup. Wilson, who originally signed with Washington as a free agent in July 2007, has recorded at least 25 goals and 55 points in each of his three AHL seasons. The collegiate standout at Colgate University is a native of Oakville, Ontario, and was originally drafted by Minnesota in the ninth round of the 2004 NHL Draft. Pinizzotto, 25, played 45 games with Hershey and 11 with the South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL last season. He recorded four goals and seven assists with Hershey and four goals and six assists with South Carolina. The Mississauga, Ontario, native had three goals and five points in 21 playoff games to help Hershey win the Calder Cup. The Capitals signed Pinizzotto as a free agent on March 16, 2007.