OTTAWA - The Ottawa Senators announced today the club has signed defenceman Andre Benoit to a one-year, two-way contract.

Benoit, 26, spent the 2009-10 season with Montreal Canadiens’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs. In 78 games with Hamilton, Benoit scored six goals and added 30 assists for 36 points, while recording 63 penalty minutes. He added three goals and 11 assists in 19 playoff games as the Bulldogs were defeated four games to three by the Texas Stars in the AHL’s Western Conference final.

Prior to last season, the 5-11, 186-pound native of St. Albert, Ont., spent two seasons in Europe, playing with Sodertalje SK of the Swedish Elite League in 2008-09 and Tappara Tampere of the Finnish League in 2007-08.

After signing as a free agent with Montreal on Jan. 9, 2006, Benoit played two seasons in Hamilton, registering 57 points (17 goals, 40 assists) and 101 penalty minutes in 134 regular-season games. He was a member of the Bulldogs’ Calder Cup champion team in 2007, recording 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 22 playoff contests.

Prior to signing with the Canadiens, Benoit played five seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers from 2000-01 to 2004-05. In 324 regular-season games with the Rangers, he recorded 299 points (99 goals, 200 assists) and helped Kitchener win the 2003 Memorial Cup. He was named to the OHL’s first all-star team in 2004-05, leading all OHL defencemen with 77 points (24 goals, 53 assists) in 67 games.