Penguins re-sign former NAHL standout Conner

The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Chris Conner, who played two seasons in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) from 2000-02 with the Compuware Ambassadors and Chicago Freeze, to a one-year contract. 

Conner, 26, has played in 79 career NHL games since entering the league in 2006, posting nine goals and 24 points.

Conner, who originally signed with the Penguins on July 5, 2009, scored two goals and three points in eight games with Pittsburgh this past season and appeared in one postseason contest. He scored two goals, one being the game-winner, in Pittsburgh’s 4-2 victory at New York against the Rangers on Jan. 25 just hours after being recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) of the American Hockey League (AHL).

The 5-foot-8, 180-pound forward completed his first season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2009-10, ranking second on the team in points (56) and assists (37), while chipping in 19 goals in just 59 contests. Two days before helping Pittsburgh defeat the Rangers, the speedy winger tied a WBS franchise record with five points (2G-3A) in a 6-3 victory at Syracuse Jan. 23. Conner tied for the team lead with four points (2G-2A) in four postseason games.

The Westland, Mich., native spent three-plus seasons with Dallas after signing with the Stars in the summer of 2006. In 71 games with the Stars, Conner recorded seven goals and 21 points.

Conner played four seasons with Michigan Tech, posting 69 goals, 60 assists and 129 points in 151 games. He finished his collegiate career as the school’s all-time leader in shorthanded goals (15), and was named to the 2004 All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Second Team.

View the complete list of NAHL graduates who played in the NHL in 2009-10 here.