The San Jose Sharks signed goaltender Antti Niemi to a four-year contract extension on Monday that will see him in a Sharks uniform through the 2014-15 season.
The contract will pay him an average of $3.8 million per year.
"We wanted Antti to remain a San Jose Shark and he wanted to be here," general manager Doug Wilson said. "Once he got through his expected integration period with our club, Antti's play has been outstanding and, just as important, he has consistently been a great teammate. And like many of his teammates over this past year, he worked with us on a contract that fits within our team structure and enables us to keep our group intact."
The 27-year-old has a 23-15-3 record through 42 games this season, with a 2.44 goals against average and .919 save percentage. He's won 15 of his last 18 games, which has helped lift the Sharks to third in the Western Conference.
Niemi began his NHL career in 2008 after signing with the Blackhawks as an unrestricted free agent. He was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Sharks last September after the Blackhawks walked away from his $2.75 million award in salary arbitration in the summer.
Niemi was set to become a free agent in the summer.
