Well, today marked the start of the Alaska Aces’ signing announcements, and the ECHL club got off to a pretty decent beginning – they’ve secured goaltender Gerald Coleman, who is quite good.

One caveat: Coleman won’t be ready for the start of the season because he is still healing and rehabbing from surgery on his left hip in late May. The arthroscopic procedure repaired a torn labrum and removed some bone spurs. He anticipates being back by Thanksgiving at the latest.

Puckheads no doubt recall all Coleman has done for the Aces in the last two seasons is, well, kill it.

Two seasons ago, he was the circuit’s Goaltender of the Year and backstopped the club to the Kelly Cup. Last season, he buoyed them through two rounds of the postseason.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but check out the 27-year-old’s numbers from the last two seasons with the Aces:

Regular season: 48-20-5, 2.10 goals-against average, .918 save percentage, 7 shutouts.

Playoffs: 16-4-2, 1.85, .932, 4 shutouts.

Coleman last season also rocked some AHL time for the Lake Erie Monsters, going 11-4-2, 2.56, .922.

So, don’t be surprised if he ends up with some AHL time in the 2012-13 season too.

In any event, the Cowbell Crew will surely be psyched Coleman will be back for a third season with the Aces. Aces opponents? Not so much.

Look for more on the Coleman signing in Friday’s dead-trees edition of the ADN.