On The Move: Conklin, Voros, Greentree Change Teams

Posted by adn_aces

Posted: July 1, 2008 - 1:57 pm

NHL free agency opened today, and at least three players with Alaska connections, most notably goaltender Ty Conklin of Anchorage, have landed with new teams.

Conklin, fresh off a fine season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, signed a one-year deal with Stanley Cup champion Detroit, the club that beat the Penguins in the Finals. Conklin's deal is for $750,000, a 50-percent raise over the one-year, $500,000 gig he had with the Penguins.

Conklin, 32, who started last season in the American Hockey League, helped the Penguins not only persevere, but flourish, in midseason after starter Marc Andre-Fleury missed substantial time with a high ankle sprain. Conklin went 18-8-5 with a 2.51 goals-against average and .923 save percentage.

Detroit is Ty's fifth NHL club -- he previously played for Edmonton, Columbus, Buffalo and Pittsburgh. In his NHL career, he is 48-32-4 with a 2.60 goals-against average and .909 save percentage. He is the only Alaskan goaltender who has ever ascended to the world's best league.

Meanwhile, former UAF Nanooks winger Aaron Voros signed a free-agent deal with the New York Rangers, giving that club three Alaska connections -- the team's top two centers, Scott Gomez and Brandon Dubinsky, are Anchorage dudes.

Voros, who turns 27 Wednesday, last season played for the Minnesota Wild, making his NHL debut and earning 7-7--14 totals and 141 penalty minutes in 55 games.

And former UAF Nanooks winger Kyle Greentree, who made his NHL debut with Philadelphia last season, getting two games, on Monday was traded to the Calgary Flames. Greentree, 24, racked 24-24--48 totals in 72 games with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL.

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