In the wake of losing defensemen Kurt Sauer and Jeff Finger to free agency, the Avalanche on Thursday signed journeyman defender Daniel Tjarnqvist of Sweden to a one-year, $750,000 contract.
Tjarnqvist, 31, played in Russia last season. He last played in the NHL for Edmonton in 2006-07, with three goals, 15 points and a plus-3 in 37 games. He missed much of the season with an injury.
The club also announced the signing of forward Chris Durno, a four-year letterman at Michigan Tech (the last in 2003) who spent the last three seasons in the American Hockey League with Milwaukee, Norfolk, Portland and San Antonio, where he recorded career highs last season in games played (80) and goals (23).
Adrian Dater, The Denver Post
DANIEL TJARNQVIST
Defenseman
6-foot-2, 200 pounds
A 31-year-old journeyman, Tjarnqvist (pronounced T’YAHRN- kvihst) was selected 88th overall by the Florida Panthers in the 1995 draft. He has played in 315 NHL games with Atlanta, Minnesota and Edmonton and was in the Russian hockey league last season.
