Fibinger Signing Articles: Senators' signing builds up defense
August 13, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Press Connects.com

Senators' signing builds up defense

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

More than a month still remains before training camps open but the Ottawa Senators continued to bolster their AHL affiliate Wednesday by signing free-agent defenseman Jesse Fibinger to a one-year contract.

Fibinger, 26, has spent the past three seasons in the San Jose Sharks' organization after a four-year college career at Minnesota-Duluth. He had five goals, 12 assists and 39 penalty minutes in 55 games last season for AHL Cleveland.

A stay-at-home defenseman, Fibinger registered career-highs with six goals and 18 points for Cleveland as a rookie in 2001-02. He appeared in 16 games for the Sharks in 2002-03 and didn't score a point.

Fibinger figures to help replace Julien Vauclair, the best defenseman in Binghamton last season who is likely headed to Europe since Ottawa declined to offer him a one-way contract. Fibinger was a seventh-round draft pick of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 1998.