Frisco, TX – Dallas Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk announced today that the club has signed defenseman Aaron Rome to a three-year, $4.5 million contact ($1.5 million per season). Rome, 28, has played the last three seasons for the Vancouver Canucks.

“Aaron is a physical defensive defenseman who adds size and grit to our blue line,” said Nieuwendyk. “He competes at a very high level and helps make our team harder to play against. We’re very pleased to add Aaron to our team for the next three years.”

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound blue-liner appeared in 43 games for Vancouver last season, collecting four goals and six assists for 10 points, all NHL career highs.

A native of Nesbitt, Manitoba, Rome has appeared in 174 career NHL games with Anaheim, Columbus and Vancouver, recording six goals and 16 assists for 22 points with 156 penalty minutes. He has also skated in 18 Stanley Cup Playoff games (15 of which came with Vancouver the past two seasons), posting a goal and an assist with 37 PIM. He appeared in one playoff game for Anaheim during the Ducks’ 2007 Stanley Cup championship run.

Originally selected by Los Angeles in the fourth round (No. 104 overall) in the 2002 NHL Draft, Rome played in 304 Western Hockey League games from 1998-2004, with Saskatoon, Kootenay, Swift Current and Moose Jaw. In the WHL, he earned 155 points (31 goals, 124 assists) and 646 penalty minutes. He was named to the WHL East Second All-Star Team in 2004