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Panthers Sign McLennan, Cairns

July 10, 2004
SUNRISE, Fla. – The Florida Panthers have signed goaltender Jamie McLennan, who is part owner of the Texas Wildcatters, and defenseman Eric Cairns. Both players began their professional careers in the ECHL, McLennan with Richmond in 1991-92 and Cairns with Birmingham in 1994-95. The Panthers ECHL affiliate is the Augusta Lynx.

Selected in the third round (48th overall) by the New York Islanders in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, McLennan was 16-12-2 with a goals-against average of 3.72 and a save percentage of .891 in 32 regular season games with Richmond in 1991-92.

Selected in the third round (72nd overall) by the New York Rangers in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, Cairns scored four points (1g-3a) in 11 games with Birmingham in 1993-94 and also appeared in six games with Charlotte in 1995-96.

The 33-year-old McLennan began 2003-04 with Calgary and was 12-9-3 with a goals against average of 2.20 before being traded to the New York Rangers in March, seeing limited action and going 1-3-0 with a goals-against average of 2.96. He made his NHL debut in 1993-94 with the Islanders and has played 228 games in the NHL with the Islanders (1993-96), St. Louis (1997-2000), Minnesota (2000-01), Calgary (2002-04) and the Rangers (2003-04). McLennan won the Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy in 1998 as the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

The 30-year-old Cairns scored eight points (2g-6a) and led NHL defensemen with 189 penalty minutes in 72 games with the Islanders in 2003-04. Cairns, who led the Islanders in penalty minutes each of the last three seasons, has appeared in 406 games in the NHL with the Islanders (1998-2004) and the Rangers (1996-98), scoring 40 points (9g-31a) while amassing 1,053 penalty minutes.

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