TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -The Tampa Bay Lightning signed goalie Mike Smith to a $4.4 million, two-year contract extension on Monday.
Smith was acquired from the Dallas Stars in February. The incumbent starter played in 13 games with the Lightning last season.
“It goes without saying Mike has a bright future,” Tampa Bay vice president of hockey operations Brian Lawton said.
Smith will share time with Olaf Kolzig, the former Washington
(more…)
TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Lightning signed goalie Mike Smith to a US$4.4-million, two-year extension on Monday.
Smith, 26, went 15-19-0 with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage in 34 games last season with Tampa Bay and Dallas. He was acquired at the trade deadline in a deal that sent all-star forward Brad Richards to the Stars.
Smith will make US$950,000 this season, $2 million in 2009-10 and $2.4 million in ‘10-’11.
Ray Emery will kickstart his hockey career in Russia.
The 25-year-old goaltender, bought out by the Ottawa Senators last month, has signed a one-year deal worth around US$2 million (tax free) with Atlant Mytishchi of the new Continental Hockey League.
“The reality is that since Ray’s buyout there hasn’t been a lot of interest, it doesn’t seem like someone (in the NHL) wants to give him a second chance right now,” Emery’s agent J.P. Barry told The Canadian Press on Wednesday. “It’s a terrific offer from Russia and we’ve been speaking to them for several weeks since the buyout.
MONTREAL - The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed goaltender Jaroslav Halak to a US$1.55-million, two-year contract.
The backup to Carey Price will earn $750,000 next season and $800,000 in 2009-10.
“Jaroslav has proven to be a quality NHL goaltender,” Canadiens GM Bob Gainey said in a statement. “He played very well for us when called upon over the past two seasons. He is young competitor with great skills and an excellent work ethic.”
MONTREAL - The Montreal Canadiens have signed veteran tough guy Georges Laraque to a US$4.5-million, three-year contract and also added some depth in goal with Marc Denis.
The six-foot-three, 243-pound Laraque returns home to Montreal, joining a team that hasn’t had a true heavyweight in a few years.
“A 10-year veteran, Georges is the kind of player who made his mark in the NHL,” Habs GM Bob Gainey said in a statement. “With his physical play and determination, we are convinced that he will add valuable energy to our group of players.”
PITTSBURGH (AP) -The Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday signed goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to a seven-year, $35 million contract, the third long-term deal inked with one of their younger players in two days.
Penguins general manager Ray Shero called Fleury “one of the elite goaltenders of the game” and said he was instrumental in helping the team reach the Stanley Cup Final.
“He is extremely gratified to be part of the Penguins core going forward,” Fleury’s agent, Allan Walsh, told The Associated Press. “The contract shows a lot of confidence the team is placing in him and Marc is making a statement to all that Pittsburgh is where he wants to be playing.”
(July 2, 2008 - Long Island, NY) - The New York Islanders have signed goaltender Yann Danis (pronounced YAHN DAH-nee) to a one-year, two-way contract. A former NCAA All-American with Brown University, Denis has a record of 81-67-18 in 176 career AHL games with a 2.78 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.
Following a standout four-year career at Brown University, Danis signed as an undrafted free agent with Montreal in March of 2004. In his time with the Canadiens’ organization, Danis played in six games with Montreal and had a record of 3-2-0 with a 2.69 goals against average and a save percentage of .908. Danis, a native of Qubec, Canada spent the majority of the last five seasons with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League.
VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Canucks signed a journeyman forward and kept their backup goaltender Wednesday while they waited for centre Mats Sundin to decide if he would move to the West Coast.
The Canucks signed 32-year-old forward Ryan Johnson, who spent the last five seasons with the St. Louis Blues, to a US$2.3-million, two-year contract. The NHL team also re-signed netminder Curtis Sanford to a $650,000, one-year deal. Sanford, 28, is entering his second season in Vancouver.
WASHINGTON - The Washington Capitals are keeping the dynamic young star with the sparkling end-to-end moves but not the goaltender whose outstanding play helped lead the late surge to the playoffs.
The guy with the moves? No, not Alex Ovechkin. He’s already under contract. It was Mike Green’s day Tuesday as the NHL’s top scoring defenceman was rewarded with a four-year, US$21-million contract.
Washington also added free-agent Jose Theodore, signing the former Montreal and Colorado goalie to a two-year, $9-million contract. Theodore, the 2002 NHL MVP, was courted after the Capitals were unable to reach a deal with Cristobal Huet, who signed instead with the Chicago Blackhawks.
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Goalie Patrick Lalime signed a two-year, US$2-million contract with the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday to become the backup behind Ryan Miller.
Lalime is a nine-year NHL veteran, who has spent the past two seasons with Chicago. He had a 16-12-3 record with a 2.82 goals-against average in 30 appearances last season.
Pittsburgh’s sixth-round pick in the 1993 draft, Lalime is most noted for being a four-year starter with Ottawa
(more…)
