The 2011 Kelly Cup Champion Alaska Aces have re-signed 2011 ECHL Goaltender of the Year, Gerald Coleman, Head Coach, Rob Murray announced on Tuesday.  Coleman returns for his second season in Alaska, and becomes the ninth returning player signed for the upcoming season.  The Aces will begin the defense of the Kelly Cup Championship with a pair of pre-season games against the Colorado Eagles on October 4 & 5 at Sullivan Arena, promoting cancer awareness. For more information on all Aces related news, please contact the Aces office at 907.258.ACES, or visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/alaskaaceshockey. 

Coleman, 26, was voted the ECHL Goaltender of the Year in his first season in Alaska.  The Evanston, IL native put up a 30-15-1 record, with a league-best 2.19 GAA and .913 save percentage.  He tied for the league-high in wins, becoming one of just 46 goaltenders in the 23-year history of the ECHL to reach the 30-win plateau in a season.  He also tied for the most shutouts in the league with four.  He was named to the All-ECHL First-Team and was the ECHL Goaltender of the Month for March.  The 6’5”, 210 lbs. goaltender only got better in the post-season, with an 11-1 record, a 1.73 GAA, and a .938 save percentage.  He led the playoffs with three shutouts.  Dating back to the tail end of the regular season, the one-time NHL goaltender went 19-2, allowing an average of one and a half goals per contest, while turning aside nearly 95% of shots he faced. 

Coleman has appeared in 145 regular season ECHL games with Johnstown, Augusta, Phoenix, Trenton and Alaska posting an overall record of 79-47-11 with eight shutouts, a 2.65 goals-against average and a save percentage of .907. Coleman also has 81 games of American Hockey League experience with Springfield, Portland, Worcester and Lowell and two games of National Hockey League experience with Tampa Bay, where he played as a rookie in the 2005-2006 season.  Last year he became the third Aces goaltender to win the Goaltender of the Year Award, joining Matt Underhill from 2005-2006, and J.P. Lamoureux from 2008-2009.  In 2009 Coleman was the runner-up for the award while playing with Trenton.  Prior to turning pro, Coleman was a member of the OHL’s London Knights, helping backstop one of the most successful junior teams of all-time.  En route to the 2005 Memorial Cup title, Coleman finished that season with 32-2-2 record.  Coleman becomes the first Aces goaltender under contract for the 2011-2012 campaign.

The 2011 Kelly Cup Champion Alaska Aces will begin the 2011-2012 season on Friday, October 14 at Sullivan Arena when they host the Las Vegas Wranglers.  Season ticket and sponsorship packages are currently available through the Aces office at 15^th & Gambell.  For more information, please call the Aces at 907.258.ACES or visit them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alaskaaceshockey. 

2011-2012 Alaska Aces

Gerald Coleman, G

Ethan Cox, F

Wes Goldie, F

Scott Howes, F

Dan Kissel, F

Brian Swanson, F

Bryan Miller, D

Russ Sinkewich, D

Steve Ward, D