Munich, Germany - Fans' hopes for more big-name signings were not fulfilled as several German Elite League teams made final roster moves one day before the DEL signing deadline Tuesday. With a last-minute compromise between the NHL and the players' union unlikey yet not impossible, only the Düsseldorf Metro Stars and ERC Ingolstadt dared to bring in NHL lockout players, signing Carolina Hurricanes Kevyn Adams and Aaron Ward, respectively. Ingolstadt also signed last year's DEL playoff hero Mike Harder of the ECHL's Charlotte Checkers. The Kölner Haie went the safe way by inking former NHLer Marquis Mathieu from the LNAH's Thetford Mines Prolab.

Butch Goring's DEG Metro Stars signed checking line center Kevyn Adams of the Carolina Hurricanes to a lockout contract. The 31-year-old native of Washington, D.C. has recorded 99 points (41G, 58A) in 363 NHL games with Carolina, Florida, Columbus and Toronto. He was originally drafted 25th overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins. Four years later, he signed as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Adams is known as a tenacious forechecker, excellent defensive player and good-hitter. On the downside, he lacks a scoring touch and is just a mediocre skater.

ERC Ingolstadt initially announced the signing of defenseman Jason York of the Nashville Predators Tuesday morning. His contract had to be voided though when the team learned that York had signed a deal with a Slovenian team a couple days before. So they decided to bring in another NHLer they have been negotiating with, defender Aaron Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes. The 32-year-old native of Windsor, Ontario was drafted fifth overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft and won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998. Ward has scored 74 points (25G, 49A) in 481 NHL appearances with Carolina and Detroit. He brings both size and physical presence to the game and is know as a solid blueliner and good penalty killer.

Ingolstadt also signed 31-year-old Winnipeg, Manitoba-native Mike Harder of the Charlotte Checkers (East Coast Hockey League). The centerman made his DEL debut with the Frankfurt Lions last year. After scoring a mediocre 17 points (2G, 15A) in 50 regular season games, Harder became a hero in Frankfurt's Cinderella championship run, scoring an unprecedented three straight series-clinching goals in the playoffs, including the championship-winning tally. Harder, who still holds the record as Colgate University’s all-time leading scorer, signed with the New York Rangers in 1999 and proceeded to lead the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack in its successful quest for the Calder Cup.

The Kölner Haie inked Hartford, Connecticut-native Marquis Mathieu until the end of the season. The 31-year-old center, who holds both Canadian and US citizenship, last played for the Thetford Mines Prolab in the semi-professional LNAH (Ligue nord-américaine de hockey). He notched 54 points (24 goals, 30 assists) in 38 games. Mathieu, who has spent the majority of his career in the minors, appeared in a total of 16 NHL games for the Boston Bruins between 1998 and 2001.