KINGS SIGN FREE AGENT DEFENSEMAN TOM PREISSING TO A FOUR-YEAR CONTRACT

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Kings have signed free agent defenseman Tom Preissing to a four-year contract, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.

Preissing, 28, has played three NHL seasons - two with the San Jose Sharks (2003-04 and 2005-06) - and this past season with the Ottawa Senators. In 223 career regular season games, he has 100 points (20-80=10), 56 penalty minutes and a plus-65 rating. In 42 career playoff games, he has 15 points (3-12=15), 14 penalty minutes and a plus-3 rating.

This past season, Preissing led all Senators defensemen with 31 assists, 38 points (7-31=40) and a plus-40 rating (second overall on the club) while collecting 18 penalty minutes in a career high 80 games played. His plus-40 rating also tied for first among all league defensemen and tied for third overall in the NHL.

Preissing also recorded seven points (2-5=7), 10 penalty minutes and a plus-3 rating in 20 playoff games as he helped lead the Senators to the Stanley Cup Finals this past season. In addition, he established new postseason highs for goals (2) and games played (20), and matched a postseason high for points (7).

Preissing, who has averaged 77 games played, 40 points and 22 penalty minutes over his past two NHL seasons, began his NHL career with the Sharks and was named the club's Rookie of the Year in 2003-04. The 6-0, 198-pound native of Arlington Heights, Illinois, was originally signed by San Jose as an unrestricted free agent on April 4, 2003.

Prior to turning pro, Preissing played four seasons with Colorado College in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). While there, he was named as a WCHA First Team All-Star, an NCAA West First Team All-American and a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award after leading the nation in points scored by a defenseman (42 GP, 23-29=52) in 2002-03. He also tied for first in the nation with 17 power play goals and was named the WCHA's Student Athlete of the Year while serving as captain of his team that season.

Tom Preissing's career regular season and playoff stats:

--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
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1997-98 Green Bay Gamblers USHL 56 8 13 21 30 4 0 2 2 2
1998-99 Green Bay Gamblers USHL 53 18 37 55 40 6 3 6 9 2
1999-00 Colorado College NCAA 36 4 14 18 20 -- -- -- -- --
2000-01 Colorado College NCAA 33 6 18 24 26 -- -- -- -- --
2001-02 Colorado College NCAA 43 6 26 32 42 -- -- -- -- --
2002-03 Colorado College NCAA 42 23 29 52 16 -- -- -- -- --
2003-04 San Jose Sharks NHL 69 2 17 19 12 11 0 1 1 0
2004-05 Krefeld Penguins DEL 33 1 6 7 32 -- -- -- -- --
2005-06 San Jose Sharks NHL 74 11 32 43 26 11 1 6 7 4
2006-07 Ottawa Senators NHL 80 7 31 38 18 20 2 5 7 10
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NHL Totals 223 20 80 100 56 42 3 12 15 14

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