Penguins Sign Forward Richard Park
Thursday, 09.08.2011 / 9:45 AM

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Richard Park to a one-year contract, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero.

Park’s contract is a two-way deal worth $550,000 at the NHL level.

Park, 35, played parts of 13 NHL seasons from 1994-95 through 2009-10 before spending the 2010-11 season with Geneve Servette of the Swiss National League where he tallied 34 points (15G-19A) in 47 games.

A native of Seoul, South Korea, Park began his NHL career with Pittsburgh, appearing in 58 regular-season games and four postseason contests between 1994-97 after the Penguins made him a second-round pick (50th overall) in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. As a rookie in ’95-96, Park was a key member of the Penguins’ squad that advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

When the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Park made his NHL debut with Pittsburgh on May 3, 1995, he became just the second South Korean-born player to appear in the NHL, joining former Penguins defenseman Jim Paek.

During his most recent NHL season with the New York Islanders in 2009-10, Park established a career-high with 22 assists and tied the second-highest point total (31) of his career in 81 contests. Park tallied 10-plus goals and 30-plus points in three of his four seasons with New York prior to heading to Switzerland.

Park has appeared in 684 regular-season games with Pittsburgh, Anaheim, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Vancouver and the NY Islanders, notching 95 goals, 132 assists and 227 points. A solid penalty killer, Park has 14 career shorthanded goals, including a career-high four in ’07-08. Park has added eight points (3G-5A) in 38 postseason contests.

Park played four seasons for the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League between 1992-96, collecting 85 goals, 144 assists and 229 points in 176 games. He added 65 points (30G-35A) in 47 postseason games.
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