Hurricanes sign Roland McKeown to one-year deal

The Hurricanes have taken care of one of their final internal free agents for this offseason, signing defenseman Roland McKeown to a one-year, two-way deal. The deal will pay him $700,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level for the 2020-21 season.

McKeown came to the Hurricanes as part of the return for defenseman Andrej Sekera at the 2015 trade deadline and has spent six seasons with the organization. McKeown posted four goals and 24 points in 61 games last season for the Charlotte Checkers, serving as the team’s captain.

With uncertainty about when the AHL season might start, McKeown has been loaned to Skellefta AIK of the Swedish Hockey League. He would likely play a key role either in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves or on any possible Hurricanes “taxi squad” when the 2020-21 season begins.

The official release from the team about McKeown follows:

‘CANES SIGN McKEOWN; ASSIGN HIM TO SWEDISH LEAGUE

Defenseman agrees to one-year contract; will play for Skelleftea AIK

RALEIGH, NC – Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed defenseman Roland McKeown to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700,000 on the NHL level or $100,000 on the American Hockey League (AHL) level. The Hurricanes have subsequently loaned McKeown to Skelleftea AIK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).

“Roland had a solid season in the AHL last season and it is important that he get back on the ice to continue his development,” said Waddell. “Playing in the Swedish league is a great opportunity for him to do just that.”

McKeown, 24, registered 24 points (4g, 20a) in 61 games, while serving as captain for the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers in 2019-20. The Listowel, Ont., native has registered 84 points (16g, 68a) in 271 career AHL games with Charlotte. McKeown made his NHL debut on Nov. 4, 2017 at Arizona and has tallied three assists in 10 career NHL games with Carolina. The 6’1”, 192-pound defenseman was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round, 50th overall, of the 2014 NHL Draft. He was acquired by the Hurricanes from the Kings along with a first-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft (Julien Gauthier) in exchange for Andrej Sekera on Feb. 25, 2015.