Nhl Rookie Signs

Radek Dvorak, selected 10th overall by the Florida Panthers in the 1995 National Hockey League draft, agreed to a three-year contract.

The 18-year-old Czech forward, who had until midnight to reach an agreement to be eligible this season, is the first player to agree to a contract under the NHL’s new rookie salary cap of $850,000.

Nicklas Lidstrom, second among the club’s defensemen in scoring, signed a four-year contract with Detroit.