CANUCKS SIGN BIEKSA

Canucks President & GM Mike Gillis announced the Canucks have signed Defenceman Kevin Bieksa to a five-year contract.

Bieksa, 30, appeared in 66 games for the Canucks in 2010.11, recording 22 points (6-16-22) and 73 penalty minutes.

The 6’0”, 199-pound Defenceman finished the season with a rating of +32, ranking tied for second in the League.

Bieksa also ranked second among Canucks defencemen in hits (104) and third on the team for blocked shots (93) despite missing 16 games to injury.

In the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he registered 10 points (5-5-10) in 25 games played, including the series winner against San Jose in the Western Conference Final on May 25, 2011 to help advance the Vancouver Canucks to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 17 years.

Bieksa was also named as an Alternate Captain for the 2010.11 season. Bieksa has spent his entire career with the Vancouver Canucks, collecting 147 points (34-113-147) and 556 penalty minutes in 347 NHL games.

He now ranks 12^th among Canucks defencemen in career points.

The Grimsby, Ontario native was originally selected in the fifth round, 151^st overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks