The Phoenix Coyotes have signed goaltender Brian Boucher to a one-year contract. Financial terms were not released.
Before the NHL closed the doors on the 2004-05 season, Boucher led the team in wins and shutouts, going 10-19-10 with a 2.74 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage and five shutouts in 40 games in the 2003-04 campaign.
The 6-2, 198-pound backstop also performed one of the most incredible feats in hockey history during the 2003-04 campaign when he set two new modern-day NHL records with five consecutive shutouts and a shutout sequence of 332 minutes and 1 second, breaking the 55-year-old records of Montreal's Bill Durnan (4 shutouts, 309:21 sequence in 1948-49).
"There was never any doubt that we wanted Brian back in the fold," Coyotes general manager Michael Barnett said. "He was a very solid No. 1 goaltender in Philadelphia and last year evidenced his considerable skills while breaking a 55-year-old NHL record for shutouts. With improvements in many areas of our lineup, we feel confident that Brian can play an important and leading role in seeing us become a bonafide playoff club."
In his NHL career, Boucher, 28, has collected a 2.65 GAA, .901 save percentage, 12 shutouts and a 71-77-30 record with Phoenix and Philadelphia.