Phoenix Coyotes signs backup goalie Jason LaBarbera for a 2-Year Extension –NHL Update
Phoenix Coyotes’ management has re-signed their 31-year-old Canadian backup goalie, Jason LaBarbera, to a two-year extension and has hopes of also extending a deal out to their main goalie, the Russian Ilya Bryzgalov, before the regular season starts in
October.
The terms of the contract have not yet been disclosed but hopefully will be shared with the league once things between the players and the team management settle down.
LaBarbera was drafted in the 1998 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft by the New York Rangers after playing for Portland Winter Hawks
in the Western Hockey League (WHL) and continued to play in the minor league until officially joining the NHL for the 2000-2001 season.
He played for only 10 minutes in his first matchup and made two saves during that time frame.
LaBarbera continued to play with New York Rangers until finally joining Los Angeles Kings in 2005 after a full season apart from the NHL in the American Hockey League (AHL).
He joined Phoenix Coyotes in the 2008-2009 season and has played a total of 141 games, winning 52 and losing 55, along with 14 overtime deciders and six shootouts in his seven-year career as a NHL player.
The backup to Ilya Bryzgalov played 17 games in the 2010-2011 season while maintaining a .909 save percentage.
In total, LaBarbera boasts a 52-55-14 record with Rangers, Kings and Coyotes so far.
Bryzgalov and LaBarbera combined in the previous regular season to register nine shutouts in total which set a new franchise record for the Phoenix Coyotes who played extremely well throughout the season.
It entered the playoffs as the sixth seed of the extremely competitive Western Conference but was the first team to be eliminated in the 2011 NHL Playoffs Quarterfinals against Detroit Red Wings, falling to four straight losses.
Its loss against Detroit Red Wings did not go in vain, as San Jose Sharks attacked Red Wings in the conference semifinals and defeated them in a seven-game series.
Phoenix is currently a great team and hopes to retain its players like LaBarbera that make the difference.
Tags: