Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald made the announcement on July 14.
NEWARK, N.J. -- On July 14, the New Jersey Devils announced they signed 29-year-old Chris Tierney to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 at the NHL level and $400,000 at the American Hockey League (AHL) level.
Initially selected by the San Jose Sharks in the second round, 55th overall, in the 2012 NHL Draft, he has played for the Sharks, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, and Montreal Canadiens. Tierney and current Devil Timo Meier were previously teammates in San Jose.
Last season, the 6-foot-1 veteran forward spent time in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers and the NHL with the Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens. In 36 NHL games, he tallied 10 points.
Tierney's best season was in Ottawa during the 2018-19 campaign. He earned 48 points in 81 games (nine goals, 39 assists). He has 76 goals and 236 points in 597 career NHL games.
Over the past few weeks, New Jersey lost two forwards with the versatility to play center. Yegor Sharangovich and Jesper Boqvist are listed on the NHL website as centers, even though head coach Lindy Ruff mainly utilized them as wingers. Tierney provides depth at the center position for the Devils in addition to filling a need in Utica.
"When you're trying to play that fast system that the (parent New Jersey) Devils play, you need to be strong in the middle of the ice," MacKinnon said in a recent interview with the Daily Sentinel. "I don't think we were ever strong enough there. That's something that we'll look to address this offseason." (from 'Utica Comets' GM MacKinnon: Offseason focus on adding center depth,' Daily Sentinel, 06-15-23).
The Keswick, Ontario native provides insurance to GM Tom Fitzgerald, who has five centers currently listed on his roster: Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Curtis Lazar, Michael McLeod, and Dawson Mercer.