OTTAWA – The Ottawa Senators announced today the club has signed free agent defenceman Troy Rutkowski to a three-year entry-level contract. Rutkowski is currently playing in his fifth season with the Portland Winterhawks, the Western Hockey League’s top-ranked team.

Rutkowski has 20 goals, 41 assists, 41 penalty minutes and is a plus-31 in 69 games with the Winterhawks this season. His 61 points are the second-highest total among league defencemen. In five WHL seasons, he has scored 61 goals and added 150 assists for 211 points while recording 247 penalty minutes in 348 games.

The 6-2, 208-pound, Edmonton native was originally drafted by the Colorado Avalanche with their fifth-round selection (137th overall) in the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft, but did not sign with the team.

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