The last time the Sharks saw Antti Niemi, he was celebrating with his Chicago Blackhawk teammates after they ended San Jose's season in the Western Conference final.

Now the Sharks are hoping that he can help get them a couple of steps farther, after they signed the Stanley Cup-winning goalie to a one-year deal worth a reported $2 million US, the team announced Thursday.

"I thought for me it would be really important to go to a really good team and also a really good organization," he said. "They really wanted me there too. It wasn't too hard a decision after all."

Niemi, 27, helped backstop the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup in 49 years last season, posting a 2.63 goals-against average and .910 save percentage with two shutouts in the playoffs.

"We liked our goaltending as of yesterday. We like it even more today," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. "When a player like this comes available and he wants to come to your team, especially on a contract that we feel fits our salary structure and you don't have to give up anything to get him you just have to make it happen."

Starting as a rookie backup when the season began, the Finn emerged as Chicago's No. 1 goalie in the playoffs after splitting crease duty with Cristobal Huet in the regular season. In 39 games, Niemi went 26-7-4 with a 2.25 GAA (fourth in the NHL), .912 save percentage and seven shutouts (third in the NHL).

But salary cap troubles forced the 'Hawks to part ways with Niemi after an arbitrator awarded him a one-year, $2.75 million contract in the off-season.

The Sharks made more difficult for the Blackhawks to keep Niemi by signing Chicago's restricted free agent defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson to a $14-million US, four-year offer sheet in July. The Blackhawks decided to match it, leaving less money on the table for Niemi.

Some believe that signing Hjalmarsson to an offer sheet was a shrewd move from Wilson to ultimately get Niemi. But he told reporters that it wasn't the case at all.

"My job is to put the best team on the ice we can here in San Jose and operate within the rules like we did," Wilson said. "To connect the two, I'll leave that up to other people to speculate or make comments."

The Sharks were the top team in the Western Conference in 2009-10, finishing with a 51-20-11 record and 113 points, just edging Chicago's 112. But the Blackhawks beat the Sharks when it counted, sweeping San Jose in the conference final before defeating Philadelphia in six games for the Stanley Cup.

Perennial playoff underachievers for the last several years, the Sharks decided to part ways with long-time No. 1 Evgeni Nabokov and signed goaltender Antero Niittymaki to replace him before Niemi became available.

The 30-year-old Niittymaki played 49 games in Tampa last season, posting a 2.87 GAA and a .909 save percentage.

Niittymaki will likely now have to compete with Niemi for the starting job in San Jose, unless the Sharks decide to split goaltending duty between the two