Lightning Acquire Dan Boyle For Pick

TAMPA BAY - The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired defensemen Dan Boyle from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a fifth-round choice in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Senior Vice President & General Manager Rick Dudley announced. Dudley also announced defenseman Kristian Kudroc has been reassigned to Springfield of the American Hockey League.

Boyle, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound native of Ottawa, Ontario, has appeared in 25 games with the Panthers this season, recording three goals, three assists and 12 penalty minutes. In 129 career NHL games with Florida during the past four seasons, Boyle has recorded 10 goals, 29 assists and 50 penalty minutes.

"Dan is a gifted offensive defenseman," Dudley said. "We've been looking to generate more offense from the blue line and work on our passing out of our zone, and those are his fortes. Dan makes a good first pass up the ice, is strong on the power play and is capable of playing both defense and forward."

Signed as a free agent by Florida on March 30, 1998, Boyle, 25, played four seasons at the University of Miami-Ohio where he was a Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) First All-Star Team member and an NCAA West First-Team All American in 1997 and 1998. He also skated in 117 games with Kentucky and Louisville of the AHL, and was named to the AHL Second All-Star Team in 1999 and 2000.