By Earl Zukerman

MONTREAL -- Mathieu Darche, a 30-year-old native of St. Laurent, Que., and former captain of the McGill Redmen, has signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League.

Tampa Bay will be the fourth NHL team for the 6-foot-1, 210-pound left winger, who inked a one-year pact. Darche was the 154th player from Canadian Interuniversity Sport to make the NHL, where he has one goal and one assist in 28 games with San Jose, Nashville and Columbus.

“Mathieu is a prolific scorer and outstanding playmaker at the AHL level, and will get a chance to compete for a spot on our roster in camp,” said Jay Feaster, executive vice-president and general manager of the Lightning.

“He has great vision and very good hands and he shows excellent poise with the puck. He works hard and competes consistently, and he continues to post big numbers at the minor league level. We simply don't have enough quality veteran depth players like Mathieu in our organization, and we are very pleased Mathieu recognizes the opportunity we present.”

Entering his eighth professional season, Darche originally signed as a free agent by Columbus in 2000 after four seasons with McGill, where he was an All-Canadian, registered 170 points, including 78 goals, in 133 games and graduated with a commerce degree in 2000.

Darche is coming off a career-best season, scoring 35 goals and 80 points in 76 games with the American Hockey League's Worcester Sharks.

In six AHL seasons, he has tallied 162 goals and 342 points in 436 career games for Syracuse, Milwaukee, Hershey and Worcester. In 2003-04, he won the Calder Cup championship with Milwaukee, leading the Admirals in goals and posting a 28-31-59 record in 76 games.

Darche was signed to a one-year, two-way contract at $475,000. Should he not make the team after training camp, he will be sent down to their AHL farm team in Norfolk.

Prior to Darche, the last time a McGill player successfully made the jump to the NHL was in 1950 when all-star right winger Reggie Sinclair began a three-year career with Boston and Detroit after playing for the Redmen from 1943 to 1950.

McGill has produced 10 players for the NHL, including two Calder trophy recipients as NHL rookie of the year -- goaltender Jack Gelineau with the Bruins in 1949-50 and Russ Blinco with the Montreal Maroons in 1933-34.

Darche’s 32-year-old brother Jean-Philippe, a former all-star linebacker at McGill, is about to enter his eighth season in the National Football League. He recently signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs after seven years as a long snapper with the Seattle Seahawks.

2006-07 SEASON NOTES: - Recalled to San Jose from Worcester on Feb. 14 2006. - Notched two assists for Team Canada when he represented the Worcester Sharks at the 2006-07 Rbk AHL All-Star Classic in Toronto. - At the time of his recall he led Worcester in goals (25), assists (28), points (53), power-play goals (13), games played (51), power-play points and multi-point games (16). - Scored the first goal in Worcester Sharks history on Oct. 6 at Portland - Scored the first goal on home ice in Worcester history on Oct. 14 vs. Manchester - Posted the first hat trick in Worcester Sharks history on Dec. 22 vs. Manchester. - FUN FACT: - Attended Super Bowl XL last year to watch his brother (Jean-Philippe) long-snap for the Seattle Seahawks - Was a linebacker in his freshman year at McGill in order to play on same team as his brother.

Career Notes:
OUAA East Second All-Star Team (1998) OUAA East First All-Star Team (1999) OUAA First All-Star Team (2000) CIAU All-Canadian Team (2000) Played CIAU Football (1996-97). Signed as a free agent by Columbus, May 16, 2000. Signed as a free agent by Nashville, September 10, 2003. Signed as a free agent by Colorado, July 26, 2004. Signed as a free agent by San Jose, July 10, 2006.

McGILL PLAYERS IN THE NHL

1917-19 Bert Lindsay (goaltender; Montreal Wanderers and Toronto Arenas)

1924-28 Sam Rothschild (goaltender; Montreal Maroons, Pittsburgh Pirates and N.Y. Americans)

1926-28 Lester Patrick (defenceman; New York; also coached from 1926-39)

1933-39 Russ Blinco (forward; Montreal Maroons and Chicago Blackhawks)

1934-35 Nels Crutchfield (defenceman; Montreal Canadiens)

1934-37 Jack McGill (left wing; Montreal Canadiens)

1946-58 Johnny Peirson (forward; Boston)

1948-54 Jack Gelineau (goaltender; Boston & Chicago)

1950-53 Reggie Sinclair (right wing; New York & Detroit)

2000-07 Mathieu Darche (left wing; Columbus, Nashville, San Jose, Tampa Bay