Aeros sign G Mike Brodeur; Taffe, DiSalvatore sign with Hershey

The Aeros are reporting on the Twitter that they have signed goaltender Mike Brodeur to an AHL contract. Brodeur was with the team late last season to back up Matt Hackett while Darcy Kuemper was laid up from shoulder surgery.

It was apparent the team was impressed with the veteran netminder at the time, especially given how little he'd played all season (like, virtually none at all, coming off hip surgery, if I remember correctly).

Interesting tie-ins with the Wild/Aeros organization this guy has: Remember the big equipment van fire the Wild had a few years ago in Ottawa? Brodeur was the winning goalie in net for the Senators in the game the following night where much of the team was wearing borrowed or brand new gear and Wild equipment manager Tony DaCosta was wishing he'd become an accountant or something.

Then, year before last, he was with the Binghamton Senators, starting the season in Bingo backing up Robin Lehner. Then he got hurt very early and Brusty basically took his job, and then got on a roll and had that awesome season, while Brodeur sorta toiled in obscurity trying to find a toehold back into the organization and get healthy.

Then, last season, when the Wild were basically down to one NHL-contracted goalie, they unearthed Brodeur and he took the bull by the horns and impressed the right people.

Now it will be interesting to see if the organization plans on Kuemper and Hackett sharing the load in Houston or putting Kuemper in Orlando to see 40 shots a night, ECHL-style. Either way, Brodeur is great insurance for the inevitable goalie injuries that will come down the pipe this season.

(And BTW, from what I understand, he is a very very distant relation to the quite a bit more famous New Jersey Devils Brodeur, but don't quote me on it.)

UPDATE: The Hershey Bears have reportedly signed both Jeff Taffe and former Aeros Captain Jon DiSalvatore to AHL contracts. Kinda thought Sal might be back, but alas.