He spent the final 21⁄2 months of last season in the NHL, but there is a small chance that Keith

Aucoin could return to play hockey in Albany.

If he does, it won’t be with the River Rats.

One of the most popular players in franchise history, Aucoin signed a two-year contract with the Washington Capitals on July 2, the second day of NHL free agency.

The 29-year-old centerman had spent the previous three seasons in the Carolina Hurricanes org­anization, representing affiliates in Albany and Lowell in three straight AHL all-star games (2006-08).

“I would have liked to come back, but things didn’t work out,” Aucoin said by phone on Monday. “I’m glad to get it out of the way early. It’s a good organization I’m going to, and it should be a lot of fun.”

The first year of Aucoin’s contract is a two-way deal, paying him a larger salary in the NHL than AHL. It becomes a one-way NHL deal in 2009-10.

“I had interest from five or six teams, but Washington was the one that really stepped up and gave me a two-year deal, which is what I was looking for,” Aucoin said.

Washington’s top farm team is in Hershey, the Rats’ East Division rival and eight-time opponent in 2008-09.

“I could be in Albany, but with a different team,” Aucoin said. “That would be a lot of fun.”

Aucoin played 103 games for the Rats, scoring 35 goals and 144 points and going plus-9. He set single-season franchise records with 72 assists and 99 points in just 65 games in 2006-07, and was chosen team MVP, finishing second to Darren Haydar for overall AHL honors.

Named Albany’s 11th captain in 2006, when Carolina shifted its farm operations from Lowell,

Aucoin had four assists and was plus-2 in two all-star game appearances as a Rat.

He also was instrumental in helping end the franchise’s AHL-record six-year Calder Cup playoff drought in 2007, and was named a second-team AHL all-star.

In his second-to-last game in a Rats uniform, on Feb. 1, Aucoin matched a club single-game record with five assists in a 5-2 home victory over Syracuse

“I enjoyed playing in Albany when I was there,” Aucoin said. “The fans treated me great, and I think the team really put hockey back on the map the last couple of years. It’s been a lot of fun to be a part of that, and get that atmos­phere back in the arena.”

Aucoin left the Rats for good on Feb. 3, recalled for the fourth time to Carolina. He played 27 games down the stretch, and finished with NHL career highs in games (38), goals (five), assists (eight) and points (13).

“Once I was up in Carolina, they used me a lot, and I thought I played pretty well,” Aucoin said. “I was able to show a lot of people that I could play at that level on a consistent basis. Hopefully, I get a chance to continue to do that.”

Carolina did not make an attempt to re-sign Aucoin. He has played 53 NHL games with five goals, 10 assists, 14 penalty minutes and 74 shots. At the AHL level, he is

134-299-433 in 435 games for Lowell, Providence, Cincinnati and Albany.

“I would have liked to have gone back there,” he said. “It’s a great

organization, and they treated me really well. It just didn’t work out.

“They’ve got a lot of guys coming back, and I think it would have been tough for me to make the team anyway. I owe the organization a lot. They really helped me in my career.”