Moose sign forward McCutcheon

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This article was published 03/11/2009 (6047 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The decimated Manitoba Moose roster got a reinforcement this morning in advance of their rematch tonight with the Norfolk Admirals at MTS Centre.

The Moose announced this morning that they have signed forward Mark McCutcheon, who’d most recently been playing with the AHL’s Portland Pirates, to a professional tryout contract.

McCutcheon will not likely help the Moose much however in the area they need help the most — goal scoring, where the club has notched just seven goals in the past seven games. They scored just one goal Monday night in a 3-1 loss to the Admirals.

The 25-year-old has played in 133 career games in the AHL over three seasons with Portland and the Lake Erie Monsters and has amassed just 10 goals and 18 assists in that time. He did, however, have two goals in five games with the Pirates this season.

"He skates real well, bangs people and he’s not afraid to play aggressive," Moose head coach Scott Arniel said at his club’s morning skate today. "He’s not a true centreman but he’s played that position the last three years. He’s a guy who’s still just trying to find his niche in the American Hockey League. I think he’s a good American League player who can fill a role."

The addition of another forward became urgent after the Moose learned on Monday that forward Guillaume Desbiens had broken his foot and would be out four-to-six weeks and forward Matt Pettinger was called up to the Vancouver Canucks.