DETROIT -- Luc Robitaille agreed to terms with the Detroit
Red Wings on a two-year contract Monday.
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Robitaille spurned Los Angeles' offer of one-year at a reduced
salary to stay with the Kings.
"I'm happy because I'm going to a team that wants to win,"
Robitaille said of the deal that will pay him at least $9 million
over the next two years.
"The one thing I have left to do in my career is to win the
Cup, and now I'm going to a team that has that chance," he said.
The signing was announced the same day the Red Wings held a news
conference to introduce goalie Dominik Hasek, acquired from Buffalo
on Saturday.
"That's why I'm the happiest, first they get the Dominator and
then they get me," Robitaille said.
Once Detroit general manager Ken Holland secured Hasek, he
turned his attention to the other end of the ice.
"Adding an offensive player to our team was a priority, and we
feel we have addressed that with this addition," he said. "We are
absolutely pleased to have agreed to terms with Luc."
Robitaille, who earned $3.5 million last season, was surprised
that he is leaving the Kings for the second time in his career.
"The Kings talked to me last Thursday, one year at a pay cut. I
was shocked," he said.
Detroit expressed interest in Robitaille on Sunday when clubs
were first able to negotiate with unrestricted free agents. The
deal was hammered out on Monday.
The left wing played all 82 games for the Los Angeles Kings last
season, scoring 37 goals and assisting on 51 others. Robitaille was
the Kings' second-leading scorer and led the club with 16
power-play goals.
In his 15-season career, Robitaille has three 50-goal seasons
and has made eight NHL All-Star appearances.
His first eight seasons were spent with the Kings, before he was
traded to Pittsburgh in 1994. After one year with the Penguins,
Robitaille was dealt to the New York Rangers. New York sent him
back to the Kings in 1997.
Robitaille has 590 goals and 648 assists in 1,124 career games.
In the playoffs, he has 53 goals and 64 assists.
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