P.J. Fenton Signed to Contract

Florida Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon announced today that the club has signed forward PJ Fenton to a standard American Hockey League contract.

Fenton, 25, returns for his second stint in the AHL after opting to go overseas prior to the start of the 2009-10 season. A native of Springfield, Massachusetts, Fenton began the 2010-11 campaign with the DEG Metro Stars of the German Elite League, scoring one goal and adding three assists for four points in 19 games. The fourth-year pro posted his best season a year ago with the Heilbronn Falcons, capturing career-highs in all offensive categories in goals (27), assists (36), points (63) and penalty minutes (47) to finish second on the team in overall scoring.

San Jose’s fifth-round selection (162nd overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Fenton made his professional debut in 2007-08 with the AHL’s Worcester Sharks, appearing in four games.

Prior to turning pro, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound forward played four seasons (2004-08) at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where he finished among UMass’s top three scorers in three out of four years. In 148 career games with the Minute Men, Fenton registered 95 points (37+58) and 129 penalty minutes. In his pro career, Fenton has amassed 92 points (43+49) in 140 appearances.