Still reveling in last month's Calder Cup title win with the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves (affiliate of Atlanta Thrashers), Darren Haydar has signed with the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings.

Expected to be made public today (Wednesday), the one-year, two-way deal will see the 28-year-old Milton right winger make $525,000 if he sticks with the big club.

"I'm excited. Who wouldn't want to be part of a Stanley Cup champion organization? That's my mindset right now," Haydar told the Champion Monday afternoon, having just inked the contract and FedEx-ed it back to his new club following a weekend fishing trip with his girlfriend's family in northern Wisconsin. "They're a first class team that plays its skilled players, so hopefully this will give me more of an opportunity (to play in NHL)."

Not in the future plans of Atlanta -- where last fall he saw his first and only real stint in the show, a 10-week tenure during which he had a goal and seven assists in 16 games -- the AHL veteran seriously considered what he described as attractive offers from teams in Russia, Sweden and Switzerland.

But in the end the desire to continue his quest for permanent residency in the NHL remains just too strong.

"I don't know if this season is my last chance, but I should know after this year if it's (prolonged stay in NHL) going to come about or not. I'm not getting any younger."

The 2006/07 AHL MVP (with a league-leading 41 goals and 81 assists) now finds himself on an organization loaded with depth, but one that also has stable management and plays a skills game -- two things that could work in his favour.

Serving as captain this past season, Haydar helped lead the Wolves to the Calder Cup -- his second in four years -- with 12 goals and 15 assists.

During this latest run he became the AHL's all-time leader in both post-season goals and total points, breaking the old marks of 51 and 119 respectively.

Haydar's signing with Detroit comes on the heels of fellow Wolves' sniper Jason Krog -- also his teammate at the University of New Hampshire -- hooking up with Vancouver.

While the five-foot-nine-inch, 170-pound forward bids farewell to one UNH cohort, he'll reunite with another -- as former roommate Ty Conklin recently signed with the Red Wings.

"This will be my first season in the Northern Conference (with Grand Rapids), where most of the teams are fairly close to home."