Penguins sign Cs Beech, Stone

Jul 15, 2008 - 6:57 PM PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday re-signed centers Kris Beech and Ryan Stone and inked free-agent right wing Bill Thomas.

Terms of all three deals were not disclosed.

Claimed off waivers from Vancouver in January, Beech went scoreless in five games for the Penguins before suffering a fractured wrist. He combined for six goals and 11 points in 25 games last season with Vancouver, Columbus and the Penguins.

Beech, selected seventh overall by the Washington Capitals in 1999, has registered 25 goals and 67 points in 198 games with five teams over his NHL career.

Stone, 23, collected one assist in six games with the Penguins last season. In 65 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League last season, he collected 11 goals and 39 points.

A Pittsburgh native, Thomas played with the Phoenix Coyotes and San Antonio Rampage of the AHL last season. While he failed to register a point in seven games with the Coyotes, the 25-year-old led San Antonio with 24 goals while collecting 52 points overall.