Alaska Re-Signs Gerald Coleman

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The Alaska Aces have re-signed goaltender Gerald Coleman for the 2012-2013 season, Aces Head Coach Rob Murray announced on Thursday afternoon. Coleman becomes the first signed player for the upcoming Aces season.

Coleman, 27, returns for his third straight season with Alaska after a pair of terrific campaigns with the club. Since joining the team in 2010, Coleman has appeared in 74 regular season games, posting a 48-20-5 record with a 2.10 GAA and a .918 save percentage. He also has played in 22 playoff games, earning a 16-6 record and leading the Aces to the 2011 Kelly Cup Championship. He finished each of the last two ECHL seasons with the lowest goals against average in the league.

In 2011 Coleman was voted the ECHL Goaltender of the Year. Last season he finished as a finalist for the award, despite spending nearly half of the season in the American Hockey League. In 27 regular season games, the 6’5”, 214 lbs. backstop went 18-5-4 with a 1.93 GAA and a .926 save percentage. His stellar play earned him a call up to the AHL where he continued to post terrific numbers. After a January call-up, Coleman was thrust into the starting role with the Lake Erie Monsters and went 11-4-2 in 17 games with a 2.56 GAA and a .922 save percentage.

Murray said that when building his roster for the 2012-2013 season, his primary focus was re-signing his standout netminder.

“Every hockey team is anchored by their goaltender,” said Murray. “(Coleman) is not only the best goaltender in the league, but he also makes the rest of our team better. The guys in front of him play with confidence because they completely trust in him.

“Anyone who’s watched him the last two years knows what a huge part of our success he’s been,” added Murray. “On top of that, he loves Alaska. He’s a big part of the community. He loves the city. He loves the fans. He’s become synonymous with hockey in Anchorage. It’s great to have him back for another year.”

Coleman enters his eighth year as a pro, and has spent time in the AHL in each of the previous seven seasons. In addition to 98 career games in the AHL, Coleman also played two games for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL in the 2005-2006 season. Coleman was a seventh round pick of the Lightning in the 2003 NHL Draft.