SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks signed the goalie who helped knock them out of the playoffs last season, agreeing to a one-year, $2 million deal with Antti Niemi on Thursday.
Niemi joins fellow Finnish netminder Antero Niittymaki in San Jose as the replacements for longtime starter Evgeni Nabokov.
Niittymaki signed a two-year, $4 million deal on the first day of free agency in July.
“We liked our goaltending as of yesterday. We like it even more today,” general manager Doug Wilson said. “When a player like this comes available and he wants to come to your team, especially on a contract that we feel fits our salary structure and you don’t have to give up anything to get him, you just have to make it happen.”
Niemi, 27, played all but one period of the Blackhawks’ run to the Stanley Cup title, going 16-6 with a 2.63 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and two shutouts.
He stopped 129-of-136 shots in the Western Conference final to help Chicago sweep the Sharks.
• The Montreal Canadiens re-signed restricted free-agent goalie Carey Price to a two-year contract. Price was 13-20-5 in 41 games last season.
• Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jordan Staal is expected to miss the start of training camp as he recovers from an infection to his right foot, which was severely injured during the NHL playoffs.
Jackson wins third MVP award
SEATTLE — Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson was selected the WNBA’s most valuable player for the third time in her career, while her coach, Brian Agler, was named the league’s coach of the year.
Jackson averaged 20.5 points and 8.3 rebounds while helping the Storm to a 28-6 record — tying the league mark for the most wins in a season. She had 23 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Storm to an 82-74 victory over the Phoenix Mercury in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
Footnotes.
Tony Mitchell, a highly regarded recruit at Missouri, has not enrolled at the university for academic reasons and is currently ineligible to play basketball.
• Former University of Oklahoma basketball player Ken Pryor, whose basket lifted the Sooners into the 1947 NCAA championship game against Holy Cross, died Tuesday. He was 85.
• Connecticut guard Caroline Doty had surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. She should be able to return for the start of the 2011-12 women’s basketball season.
• Thor Hushovd of Norway won the 93.2-mile sixth stage of the Spanish Vuelta, while Philippe Gilbert kept his overall lead for the fourth straight day.
• Italian teenager Matteo Manassero shot a 7-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the European Masters in Switzerland.
• The Atlanta Hawks signed center Etan Thomas, who has averaged 5.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game over his eight-year career.
• Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater Evan Lysacek said he won’t compete the rest of this year, meaning he will skip the Grand Prix season.
The Associated Press
