Four more years! Stars extend Marty Turco's contract

The Dallas Stars announced today that they have extended the contract of All-Star goaltender and 2006 Canadian Olympian Marty Turco. The four-year extension, valued at an average of about $5.7 million per season, ensures that Turco will remain a Star through the 2009-10 season. His current contract was set to expire at the end of this season, at which point he would have become an unrestricted free agent.

That's good news for Stars fans. Turco, a 30-year-old product of the University of Michigan, has spent his entire professional career with the Dallas organization, having been drafted by the Stars in the fifth round in 1994. Following back-to-back NHL All-Star Game appearances in 2003 and 2004, Turco is set to represent his native country of Canada at next month's Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. More than likely, he will back up Team Canada's longtime fixture in goal, Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils.