San Jose, CA (Sports Network) - The San Jose Sharks signed forward Claude Lemieux to a two-way contract on Monday. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.
The 43-year-old, who has not played in the NHL since the 2002-03 season, has been attempting a comeback and has played for San Jose's American Hockey League affiliate in Worcester for the past month, notching two goals and four assist in 14 games.
The new contract allows San Jose to bring him up to the NHL as long as he is not claimed by noon on Tuesday by another team under the waiver rules.
"This is simply the next step in the evaluation process with Claude," said San Jose general manager Doug Wilson.
Once considered one of the biggest pests in the NHL, he has regular season numbers of 379 goals and 406 assists in 1,197 games with Dallas, Phoenix, New Jersey, Colorado and Montreal.
However, it was in the playoffs where he shined as he was a key component of four Stanley Cup teams, two with New Jersey and one each with Montreal and Colorado.
In the 1995 playoffs with the Devils, he recorded 13 goals and three assists to help New Jersey win the Stanley Cup and was awarded the Conn Smythe as the playoff MVP.
He has appeared in a total of 233 playoff games over 17 postseason appearances and has 80 goals and 77 assists.