The Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman T.J. Kemp to a one-year contract today. The announcement came from Assistant General Manager Chuck Fletcher.

Kemp appeared in 73 games for the Springfield Falcons (AHL) this season, notching 46 points (eight goals, 38 assists).  The 5-11, 197-pound defenseman also tallied 44 penalty minutes.

The native of Pickering, Ontario has played in 152 career games in the AHL, scoring 84 points (13 goals, 71 assists) along with 104 penalty minutes.  Kemp appeared in 14 games during the 2007 Calder Cup Playoffs, notching seven points (two goals, five assists) and 12 penalty minutes in 14 games.  He also was a member of the Canadian AHL All-Stars during the 2007 AHL All-Star Game.

At Mercyhurst, Kemp played four years (2001-2005) for head coach Rick Gotkin. He was a member of the MAAC All-Rookie Team in 2002, a MAAC Second Team All-Star in 2003, and an Atlantic Hockey First Team selection in both 2004 and 2005. He played for teams that won two conference titles and made a pair of trips to the NCAA playoffs in 2003 and 2005. Kemp finished his career with 32 goals and 68 assists, and 100 points in 133 games.