7/6/2010 - MEN'S ICE HOCKEY Former BSU golatender Climie signs free agent deal with Phoenix

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Courtesy of the Dallas Stars

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Don Maloney, General Manager of the National Hockey League's Phoenix Coyotes announced Friday that the Coyotes signed former Bemidji State University goaltender Matt Climie to a free agent contracts. As per club policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

The move to Phoenix will give Climie, a Leduc, Alberta native, the opportunity to reunite with head coach Dave Tippett.  Although Tippett recently wrapped up his first season with Phoenix after guiding the Coyotes to the 2009-10 playoff, he served as the head coach of the Dallas Stars from 2002-2008 and saw Climie's climb to the professional ranks first hand at the Stars affiliate Idaho Steelheads (ECHL).  Climie also played three games for Stars in 2008-09.

Climie, 27, appeared in 43 games with the Texas Stars (AHL) last season, posting a record of 21-17-3-3 with a 2.46 goals against average, a .919 save percentage and three shutouts to rank in the top 10 among AHL goaltenders in goals against average and save percentage. Climie helped lead Texas to the 2010 Calder Cup Finals in 2009-10 by posting a 7-6 record with a 2.71 goals against average and .916 save percentage in 15 postseason appearances. He also played in one NHL game with the Dallas Stars last season. Climie has appeared in four career NHL games and 49 career games in the AHL. He spent the 2008-09 season with Idaho of the ECHL.

Climie signed his first professional contact with the Dallas Stars organization at the conclusion of the 2007-08 campaign and played in six games for the Iowa Stars (AHL).

During his four years in the Green and White, he racked up an overall record of 45-30-11 and helped lead BSU to CHA regular-season championships in 2004-05 and 2007-08 as well as backstopping the University to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division I Hockey Tournament (2005, 2006).

The two-time All-CHA pick left BSU after climbing to second all-time in save percentage (.909) and in goals against average (2.45). He owns the Beavers' single-season record for shutouts (5) and is atop the career shutouts list (12). His 45 victories in net stand as a BSU Division I-era standard. In the 54-year history of the BSU men's hockey program, only three players have logged more time between the pipes than Climie (5,427) while his 2,201 saves seat him sixth on the school's all-time list.

Climie capped his senior season (2007-08) with a 2.16 goals against average; a .913 save percentage, an overall record of 14-8-3. In addition to backstopping a defense that led the league (1.95) and ranked ninth in all of NCAA Division I in goals allowed per game, he was also a vital cog to a Bemidji State penalty-kill unit that nearly set a new BSU (.863) standards for efficiency and all-time in CHA play (.918).

In league play, the senior posted a CHA-best 1.78 goals against average and .750 winning percentage (12-3-3) while finishing second in save percentage with a .927 and 1111:49 logged between the pipes.

An eight-time CHA Player of the Week during his career and INCH National Player of the Week (1/15/08), Climie was a three-time Academic All-CHA selection, became the first sophomore to be named CHA Preseason Player of the Year prior to the 2005-06 campaign, earned a spot on the 2004-05 CHA All-Rookie team and was named as the 2005 CHA Tournament Most Valuable Player.

 Portions courtesy of the Phoenix Coyotes