Penguins sign Leroux to two-way deal

When his German club went bankrupt and his agent stopped returning his calls, Francois Leroux decided to represent himself and shop his services to hockey teams all over the world.

Turns out, he signed with the one closest to home.

Leroux signed a two-year contract Tuesday with the Penguins, who he played from 1994-97. He would not reveal salary figures but did say it was a two-way contract, meaning it's possible he could play for the Penguins or their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Returning to the Penguins was a no-brainer for Leroux, a 6-foot-6, 247-pound defenseman known more for his fisticuffs than his scoring ability. He and his wife, the former Lori Rapp of Monongahela, bought a house in Bridgeville in 1998 and live there in the offseason.

“I never thought I would be coming back,” Leroux said. “I just gave it a shot.”

It wasn't Leroux's first time negotiating a deal. He had previously worked as an agent for Jandec Inc., the firm run by former Buffalo Sabres goaltender Bob Sauve, and worked out his contract with the Berlin Capitals last winter. This time, he handled the process completely on his own.

“I figured, ‘I'm 32. I'm old enough, I have enough experience. I'll do it myself,' ” Leroux said.

When the Berlin Capitals went bankrupt, Leroux was left without a team. He faxed his resume to European clubs looking for any takers but found that they had already filled their quota on imported players. On a whim, he called Penguins general manager Craig Patrick on Monday.

“We talked about it a little bit,” Leroux said. “Our conversation lasted about three minutes. I had an offer on the table and I signed a contract.”

In Leroux, the Penguins secured another proven fighter to protect Mario Lemieux and their other stars. Leroux spent the majority of his first stint with the Penguins in the penalty box. He had 16 points (two goals, 14 assists) and 356 penalty minutes in 165 games over three seasons, leading the Penguins in penalty minutes with 114 in '94-95 and 161 in '95-96.

After trading Krzysztof Oliwa to the New York Rangers on June 22, the Penguins signed 6-8, 255-pound forward Steve McKenna to a two-year, $1.2-million deal last Friday. McKenna also previously played for the Penguins, joining them for 34 games late in the 2000-01 season.

“The way I see it is, it never hurts to have a few of them on your team,” Leroux said. “Big guys are always welcome in the game. You need a physical presence, someone who can mix it up in the nitty gritty. And I'm going to show up in top shape. I'm not going to disappoint.”

The Penguins traded Leroux to Colorado on Sept. 28, 1997, for a third-round pick in the '98 NHL Entry Draft. That selection was used on center David Cameron, who is no longer with the organization.

Leroux spent 13 games with Grand Rapids of the International Hockey League in '98-99, and the next two seasons with Springfield of the AHL, before going to Germany last year. He had 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) and a team-high 110 penalty minutes in 56 games with Berlin.

Leroux stopped a phone interview yesterday to watch a segment on himself on a local newscast, laughing as he saw his first NHL goal and his fight with infamous tough guy Tony Twist. Leroux knows he's expected to provide more of the latter than the former with the Penguins.

“We haven't really discussed the role,” Leroux said, “but Craig knows what type of player I am and I know what type of player I am. It could be for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, it could be for the Penguins. I'm just happy to be back with the Penguins organization. I guess it was meant to be.”