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Staying at home Richter agrees to terms, will return to RangersPosted: Thursday July 04, 2002 8:04 PMUpdated: Thursday July 04, 2002 9:22 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Mike Richter wanted to sign with a team that had a chance to win, and needed to look no further than the only one he's ever played for. Richter signed a two-year contract Thursday to stay with the New York Rangers, capping a spending spree that saw the team add three key free agents this week worth $80 million. Before making his own decision where to sign, the 35-year-old goalie wanted to see the Rangers make improvements for next season after they missed the playoffs the past five years. "We were more decisive and more improved than any team in the league in the past four days," said Richter, who will reportedly make $8 million with his new deal. General manager Glen Sather signed rugged center Bobby Holik for $45 million on Monday, the first day free agents could sign, and then added tough defenseman Darius Kasparaitis on Tuesday for $27 million. "We earmarked people for spots we thought we could get them, and I feel we did very well," Sather said. So does Richter. "I think it's clear that I love it here, I love the organization, I feel a responsibility to the organization since this is where I've always been," he said. "We've taken steps in the right direction right now." Richter, 35, was 24-26-4 in 55 games last season, finishing with a 2.95 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage and two shutouts. He is the winningest goalie in Rangers history with 296 in a team-record 653 games in 14 NHL seasons. Richter was 42-12-6 in the 1993-94 season, and helped lead the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. "I know what kind of Ranger he's been his whole career and I didn't want to see him go anywhere else," Sather said. Technically, the Rangers signed Richter away from the Edmonton Oilers, who acquired his rights from New York on Sunday night for a draft pick, just hours before he became an unrestricted free agent. The Oilers will receive a compensatory draft pick that the Rangers would not have been eligible for had Richter signed elsewhere. Richter asked for only a two-year deal, but Sather said the Rangers were open to talking about a longer contract. Richter nearly left the Rangers four years ago, but he worked out a four-year, $21.8 million deal to stay. He earned $6 million last season. Injuries have caused Richter to miss 37 games the past two seasons. He needed reconstructive surgery on his left knee after the 2000 season, which caused him to miss the first five games the next season. Then, in February 2001, Richter injured his right knee similarly and missed the final 23 games. After leading the United States team to the silver medal in the Salt Lake City Olympics earlier this year, Richter missed New York's final nine games because of a skull fracture sustained when he was struck on the helmet by a shot. "When you think of what Mike has given to this organization -- he tore up both his knees, he had a skull fracture," Sather said. "He's always had a positive influence on the New York Rangers. "I wanted to keep that. It was very important for us to get him back." The Rangers needed a No. 1 goalie once Richter reached free agency to play in front of 19-year-old Dan Blackburn. New York allowed the second-most goals last season. Richter signed days after most of the other big-name goalies in the free agent market were signed by other teams. The Detroit Red Wings signed Curtis Joseph, and the Toronto Maple Leafs replaced him with Ed Belfour on Tuesday. Byron Dafoe, who played for the Boston Bruins last season, is still available. New York hasn't made offers to any remaining free agents, but the Rangers might still be interested in high-scoring forward Tony Amonte. In any event, Sather and Richter agree that the atmosphere around the team has already gotten significantly better. "I think we're certainly on the right road," Sather said. "They are all character people, they're all winners and they're those who know what it takes to win.
"The culture is changing and it changes in personnel."
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