Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2005                                                                                

SENATORS ACQUIRE DEFENCEMAN FILIP NOVAK FROM

THE FLORIDA PANTHERS FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

The Ottawa Senators today acquired defenceman Filip Novak from the Florida Panthers for future considerations. Novak will report to the Senators' American Hockey League affiliate in Binghamton, N.Y.

The 22-year-old played one pre-season game and attended Florida's training camp at the start of the 2005-06 season. He spent the 2002-03 and 2004-05 seasons with the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League, where he totalled 11 goals, 29 assists for 40 points and had 163 penalty minutes in 128 games. He was named to the AHL's all-rookie team and skated for the Planet USA all-star team at the 2003 AHL all-star classic in Portland, Maine. The Czech Republic native did not see any action in the 2003-04 campaign because of an ankle injury.

Before joining the Rampage, Novak spent the three previous seasons with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League where he recorded a total of 36 goals, 128 assists for 164 points and 270 penalty minutes in 171 games and was named to the 2002 WHL Eastern Conference first all-star team. He also won the Pats' top defenceman award, played for the WHL East Conference all-stars in the Hershey Cup series and played in the 2000 CHL Top Prospects Game.

Novak was the New York Rangers' first-round pick (second round, 64th overall) in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. The Rangers traded him to the Florida Panthers along with Igor Ulanov, New York's first- and second-round choices in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft and the Rangers' fourth-round pick in 2003 on March 18, 2002, in exchange for Pavel Bure and a second-round choice in 2002.

Novak represented the Czech Republic at the 2002 World Junior Hockey Championship in his home country, posting two assists and four penalty minutes in seven games.

FILIP NOVAK, Defenceman, Shoots left, 5'10", 185 lbs.

Born: May 7, 1982 (Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic) Drafted: New York Rangers' second-round pick (64th overall) in 2000 NHL draft

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