Devils sign French defenceman Yohann Auvitu

France’s Yohann Auvitu, right, fights for the puck with Canada’s Derick Brassard during the Hockey World Championships. (Dmitri Lovetsky/AP)

NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils signed French defenceman Yohann Auvitu to a one-year, two-way, entry-level contract Friday.

The 26-year-old Auvitu spent parts of the previous six seasons in Finland’s top professional league with JYP Jyvaskyla and HIFK Helsinki.

This season, he had six goals and 15 assists in 48 games for HIFK Helsinki, won the Pekka Rautakallio Award as the top defenceman and was a first-team, all-league selection. In 18 playoff games en route to the league finals, he had six goals and seven assists.

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