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Lightning waive captain Andreychuk

Canadian Press
1/10/2006 12:50:49 PM

TAMPA, Fla. (CP) - The Tampa Bay Lightning placed captain Dave Andreychuk on waivers Tuesday, likely ending his 23-year NHL career unless another club decides to take a chance on him.

Should the 42-year-old centre clear waivers, he will be assigned to the AHL's Springfield Falcons although the Lightning said they won't require him to report. That means Andreychuk will continue to earn his $800,000 US salary but it will not count against the cap.

He's also under contract for next season at $525,000.

Technically, according to the collective bargaining agreement, the Lightning would have the right to suspend him without pay if he didn't report to the AHL, but the team has agreed to honour his contract instead.

"When we entered into the contract with David this summer, both sides did so in good faith, recognizing that no one would work harder in the summer preparing for the new season than David," Lightning GM Jay Feaster said in a detailed statement.



"After giving ourselves half a season to evaluate and analyze, it became clear to us that David's game was not suited to the new NHL," Feaster added.

Andreychuk had six goals and 12 assists in 42 games this season and was minus-13. He has 640 career goals and 698 assists in 1,639 regular-season games. It was his fourth season in Tampa after previous stops in Buffalo, Toronto, New Jersey and Boston.

Should Andreychuk decide to retire, the Lightning won't have to pay him anymore but Feaster insisted the club won't pressure him to do so.

"They don't make hockey players like Dave Andreychuk anymore," Feaster said. "From the moment he came to Tampa he led by example and he helped our young players understand how to be professionals."

Feaster said there were times when Andreychuk "carried the entire team on his back."

"He will always have a special place in our hearts here in Tampa and in the Lightning organization," said Feaster.

No one will wear the captain's 'C' for the rest of the season, Feaster told reporters in Tampa. The Lightning will go with three `A's', alternate captains Vincent Lecavalier, Fredrik Modin and another player to be named.