Atlanta, GA (My Sportsbook) - The Atlanta Thrashers officially announced the signing of free agent goaltender Byron Dafoe on Wednesday afternoon. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. "We are thrilled to be adding such an accomplished goaltender and veteran presence to our lineup," said Vice President and General Manager Don Waddell. "Byron will significantly strengthen our goaltending and allow us the opportunity to be more successful. We are hopeful that this can be a long-term partnership." The deal reportedly is for one-year and includes a player option for the 2003-04 season. Dafoe went 35-26-3 with a 2.21 goals-against-average for Boston last season, but the Bruins failed to re-sign him and instead acquired veteran netminder Steve Shields in the offseason. The 31-year-old goaltender has won 30 or more games in a season three times, including a career-best 35 last season for Boston. He has posted 26 career shutouts, including a NHL-leading 10 shutouts for the Bruins in 1998-99. The Thrashers, who are 5-11-1-1 this season, are in desperate need of a solid goaltender. Milan Hnilicka began the season as Atlanta's No. 1 netminder, but he has been awful, going 0-9-0 with a 4.17 goals-against-average and a .882 save percentage this year. In 380 career games with the Bruins, Washington and Los Angeles, Dafoe has compiled a 162-148-54 mark to go with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. |
