The Calgary Flames have acquired Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Adrian Aucoin, who waived his no-trade clause.

Aucoin, 33, had his most productive scoring year playing for newly hired Calgary coach Mike Keenan when the two were with the Vancouver Canucks during the 1998-99 campaign. He finished the season netting 23 goals.

Defenceman Adrian Aucoin, left, had his most productive scoring season playing for newly hired Calgary Flames coach Mike Keenan.
(Brian Kersey/Associated Press)

The Blackhawks blue-liner, who missed 23 games with a groin injury, completed this past season with four goals, 12 assists and a minus-22 in 59 games.

The Flames are scheduled to pay Aucoin $8 million US over the next two seasons.

The deal made sense for both sides. Calgary needed a top 4 defenceman because two of its blue-liners, Roman Hamrlik and Brad Stuart, are expected to be lost to free agency, while Chicago wanted a lighter salary load.   

Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon said Aucoin was expendable because of the development of his young blue-line.  

"Adrian needs to play 28 to 30 minutes a game to be successful, and that wasn't going to happen with us next season," Tallon said Friday. "And obviously there was a financial consideration in this deal." 

Aucoin, an Ottawa native, was originally drafted by the Canucks in the fifth round (117th overall) in 1992.

Aucoin, an all-star in 2003-04, has 88 career goals and 179 assists in 694 games with Vancouver, Tampa Bay, the New York Islanders and Chicago.