Gulls’ Knickle Signs Extension

Three days after signing goalie Sean Burke to a contract, Gulls owner Fred Comrie gave goalie Rick Knickle an unusual two-year extension to his one-year contract Wednesday.

Free agents like Knickle rarely are given guaranteed contracts for more than a year in the International Hockey League. But Knickle, 32, IHL leader in victories, said the contract he signed Wednesday was the the most lucrative of his career.

“I was kind of shocked, because this doesn’t happen too often,” said Knickle, who has spent parts of 10 seasons in the IHL. “But I was looking to say something about it myself at the end of season.”

With a 27-11-3 record and 3.39 goals-against average, Knickle is having his best IHL season. However, he faces the prospect of playing back-up to Burke, who elected not to re-sign with the NHL’s New Jersey Devils after leading Canada to a silver medal in the Olympics.