The Ducks announced on Thursday they have signed defenseman Brendan Mikkelson to a one-year contract (Mikkelson accepted his qualifying offer). Per club policy, no financial terms of the deal were disclosed.

Mikkelson, 23 (6/22/87), recorded 0-2=2 points with 14 penalty minutes (PIM) in 28 contests for Anaheim in 2009-10. He set a career high with 20:57 time-on-ice (TOI) on April 9 vs. St. Louis. The 6-3, 205-pound blueliner also appeared in 49 contests with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL) last season, earning 7-15=22 points with 43 PIM. He led all Marlies defensemen in goals and ranked second in points and assists.

A native of Regina, Saskatchewan, Mikkelson made his NHL debut on Jan. 2, 2009 vs. Philadelphia and earned his first career NHL point with an assist in a 4-3 victory on Jan. 31, 2009 at Colorado. Mikkelson began the 2008-09 regular season with Anaheim’s then-AHL affiliate in Iowa, earning 2-8=10 points and 18 PIM in 31 games. In 146 career AHL games, Mikkelson has earned 15-33=48 points with 111 PIM. In 2008, he helped the Portland Pirates to an AHL Eastern Conference Finals appearance, earning 2-6=8 points in 14 Calder Cup Playoff games.

Selected by Anaheim in the second round (31st overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Mikkelson played four seasons of junior hockey with the Portland Winterhawks and Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL). In 226 career WHL games, he collected 16-54=70 points with 204 PIM. He concluded his WHL career as a member of Vancouver’s 2007 Memorial Cup championship squad.