Lightning sign former Calder Cup MVP

The Tampa Bay Lightning, parent club of the AHL’s Springfield Falcons, have signed goaltender Johan Holmqvist to a one-year contract, the team announced on Thursday.

Holmqvist won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2003 Calder Cup Playoffs, when he led the Houston Aeros to the AHL championship.

Holmqvist spent the last two seasons with Brynas of the Swedish Elite League. In 2005-06, he led the league in goals-against average (1.95) and ranked second in save percentage (.928). He also represented Sweden at the World Championships in 2005 and 2006, winning a gold medal at last month’s tournament in Latvia.

Holmqvist, originally a 1997 draft pick by the New York Rangers, has played in 193 career AHL games with Houston and Hartford, posting a record of 87-69-22 with 10 shutouts.

Earlier in the week, the Lightning announced the signing of goaltender Fredrik Norrena to a one-year contract.

Norrena, 32, led Finland to a bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships, leading the tournament with a 1.11 goals-against average and three shutouts. Norrena has represented his country at four World Championships and also won a silver medal at the 2006 Olympics.

Drafted by the Lightning in 2002, Norrena has played his entire career in Europe, winning four Finnish league championships and a Swedish league championship.