DALLAS -- Pat Verbeek is returning to the Dallas Stars two years after helping them win the Stanley Cup.

	Verbeek

The feisty forward known as "The Little Ball of Hate" signed a one-year deal Friday. He wasn't re-signed by Dallas after the championship season and spent the time away in Detroit.

"Pat is familiar to our team and staff from his past tenure here in Dallas," Stars general manager Bob Gainey said. "His return brings us added veteran knowledge and veteran leadership."

Verbeek's return is key because the Stars lost a pair of right wings from last season after Brett Hull signed as a free agent with the Red Wings and Grant Marshall was traded to Columbus.

In three previous seasons with Dallas, Verbeek had 65 goals and 79 assists for 144 points in 241 games, with 431 penalty minutes. He had 15 goals, 15 assists and 73 penalty minutes in 67 games last season.

With 515 career goals, he's sixth on the active scoring list and his 2,833 penalty minutes make him the only player in NHL history with 500 goals and 2,500 penalty minutes.

The 5-foot-9, 192-pound Verbeek is 20th on the all-time games played list with 1,360 and 24th on the all-time goals scored list. He is a two-time NHL All-Star (1991, 1996) and has scored 30-plus goals in a season eight times.