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Return to Canada Maple Leafs land Belfour to replace JosephPosted: Tuesday July 02, 2002 1:18 PMUpdated: Tuesday July 02, 2002 4:27 PM
TORONTO (AP) -- Ed Belfour joined Toronto on Tuesday, quickly filling the Maple Leafs' net vacated by free agent Curtis Joseph. Belfour was 21-27-11 with a 2.65 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage last season with Dallas. The Stars let him go, giving the goalie's job to Marty Turco. Belfour, 37, signed a $13.5 million, two-year contract. He was chosen over fellow unrestricted free agent Byron Dafoe to replace Joseph, who left the Leafs for the Stanley Cup-champion Detroit Red Wings. "Curtis was terrific for us, and I'm sad to see him go, but the goaltender we've acquired is right at the top of the heap as well," Toronto coach and GM Pat Quinn said. "I don't necessarily think there will be a major change there. We will have strong goaltending, and that is key." Belfour worked with Quinn at the Olympics, where Quinn was Canada's coach and Belfour was the third-string goaltender behind Joseph and Martin Brodeur. Joseph started as the No. 1 goaltender at the Olympics, but Quinn replaced him with Brodeur after Joseph struggled in Canada's opening loss to Sweden. Quinn admitted that put a strain on his relationship with Joseph.
"It didn't work out the way I wanted to and it didn't work his
way," Quinn said. "That's the only glitch we've had in our
relationship."
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