\[ RELATED: Fantasy impact of Niemi signing with Penguins \]
"It felt like a great fit to get to the top organization in the League," Niemi told the Penguins website. "It's such a good team. The organization, you always hear about how things are done right in Pittsburgh. I want to be a part of that.
"It was a really quick process. There wasn't a lot of time to think. There some other teams, but at the end it was an easy choice."
Niemi has spent the past two seasons with the Dallas Stars after playing five seasons with the San Jose Sharks and two with the Blackhawks. He is 227-125-51 in 423 games (406 starts), with a goals-against average of 2.49, a save percentage of .913 and 35 shutouts. He was 12-12-4 last season for Dallas with a 3.30 GAA and a save percentage of 892.
"The first half was pretty good. I felt like I had a good season," Niemi said. "But the last three months were really tough, getting pulled a lot. I had a long stretch where I didn't win a game for a month. That time was tough."
Niemi is 36-29 in 67 Stanley Cup Playoff games, including 16 wins for the Blackhawks during their championship run in 2010, with a 2.77 GAA and .905 save percentage.
