Apparently, here's why Darcy Hordichuk didn't want to sign with Carolina (he signed a two-year deal with Vancouver instead):

"I want to play in the west because there are a lot more tough guys and that's my job every night," he said. "I'm so excited. I look back at my career and some of my best games have come in front of Canadian fans because that's my style. I like to run around and hit guys and anybody who's willing to drop the gloves. I'm the kind of guy who won't back down. I know my role and any chance I get to fight Georges Laraque and some of the bigger guys out there, I like to test myself against those guys."

Ryan Bayda, Wade Brookbank and Tim Conboy have all re-signed, Bayda and Brookbank for one year each and Conboy for two.

It looks like Carolina's plan to get bigger on the fourth line ended up where the Canes ended the season, with the AHL call-ups locking down roles.

(updated, 6:14 p.m.)

Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford confirmed Monday that negotiations with Darcy Hordichuk have broken off and the Canes will not sign the free-agent forward before he hits the open market next week.

Carolina sent a fifth-round pick in 2009 to Nashville for the rights to the rough-and-tumble forward Thursday, but were unable to work out a deal. They'll get Nashville's fifth-round pick in 2010 if they don't sign him before training camp — which looks unlikely.

"We're not going to get anything done with him," Rutherford said. "The fact that we had tried to get a jump on it and he wasn't interested in what we had to say, it would appear we're not getting him."

The Hurricanes' newest acquisition comes with his own presence in cyberspace. On Darcy Hordichuk's personal web site, there are clips of his fights and hits (including one with Carolina's Wade Brookbank in February), details of his community work and some other fancy stuff.

He's also apparently an accomplished magician, although the link on that about.com page to the original story in the (Nashville) Tennessean is dead.

After two months of convoluted negotiations, the Hurricanes have agreed to terms with Tim Gleason on a four-year contract worth $11.5 million. The restricted free agent defenseman will earn $2 million this season, $2.5 million in 2009-10, $3 million in 2010-11 and $3.5 million in 2011-12.

The Canes also acquired the rights to Darcy Hordichuk from the Nashville Predators.