– Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed left wing Drayson Bowman to a two-year contract. The deal will pay Bowman $600,000 on the NHL level or $105,000 on the American Hockey League (AHL) level in 2012-13. He will be paid $600,000 in 2013-14.

Bowman, 23, split the 2011-12 season between Carolina and the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate Charlotte Checkers. With the Hurricanes, Bowman (6’1”, 190 lbs.) established NHL career highs in goals (6), assists (7), points (13) and games played (37), earning the majority of his NHL playing time in the second half of the season. He added 13 goals and 13 assists (26 points) in 42 games with Charlotte.

Drafted by Carolina in the third round, 72nd overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Bowman has scored eight goals and earned eight assists (16 points) in 69 career NHL games with the Hurricanes. He has appeared in 149 career AHL games with Albany and Charlotte, totaling 42 goals and 46 assists (88 points). Bowman, who was born in Grand Rapids, MI, but raised in Littleton, CO, played junior hockey for Spokane of the Western Hockey League (WHL) prior to turning professional, notching 242 points (130g, 112a) in 265 games and helping the Chiefs capture the 2008 Memorial Cup championship.