The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed left wing Darcy Verot (pronounced vuhr-AWT) to a one-year contract, club President and General Manager Doug MacLean announced today. Verot has been assigned to the Syracuse Crunch, the club's American Hockey League affiliate. As is club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Verot, 29, has appeared in 12 games this season with Syracuse, recording 0-1-1 with 39 penalty minutes. The Radville, Saskatchewan native has scored 0-2-2 with 135 penalty minutes in 37 career NHL games with the Washington Capitals, all during the 2003-04 season. He spent last season with Portland of the AHL, registering 0-1-1 and 189 penalty minutes in 36 games. Verot has appeared in 321 career AHL games with 29-48-77 and 1446 penalty minutes.

The 6'0, 199-pound forward was an undrafted free agent signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 28, 2000. After three years in the Penguins organization, he spent a season in the Calgary Flames organization and two seasons in the Washington Capitals organization.

The Blue Jackets return to action tonight when travel to the Chicago Blackhawks. Game time is set for 8:30 p.m. ET, with FSN Ohio's Ice Breaker pregame show starting at 8 p.m. The game will also be broadcast live on the Blue Jackets Radio Network and flagship stations WBNS-AM, 1460 The Fan and WWCD-FM, CD101.