Hurricanes add Samsonov to scouting department

Former NHL player Sergei Samsonov is joining the Carolina Hurricanes as a part-time scout and will be based in the Detroit area, executive vice president and general manager Ron Francis said Tuesday.

"I think he's a bright guy," Francis said in a statement. "He's a good student of the game, and he'll be a nice addition to our staff.

"He's a guy who played the game and understands the game extremely well. His location is good being in the Detroit area – you can get to NHL games, AHL games and, if we really need him to, he can cover OHL games and college games."

Samsonov, 35, had 54 goals and 135 points in 249 games for the Hurricanes from 2007-11 as part of a 13-year NHL career that saw him score 235 goals and 571 points in 888 regular-season games with six teams. He also had 18 goals and 47 points in 76 Stanley Cup Playoff games

The addition of Samsonov comes a couple of weeks after the Hurricanes named Hall of Fame member Joe Nieuwendyk as a pro scout and adviser.