Tampa Bay sign former Washington goaltender Kolzig

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Tampa Bay Lightning signed free agent goaltender Olaf Kolzig on a one-year contract on Tuesday, the NHL club said..

Kolzig, 30, had played his entire career with Washington where he set franchise goaltending records for games played (711), wins (301), save percentage (.906) and shutouts (35).

"Olaf is a real stabilizer in the locker room and on the ice," Lightning vice president of hockey operations Brian Lawton said on the team Web site (wwww.lightning.nhl.com).

"With Karri Ramo, Olaf Kolzig and Mike Smith we have a great deal of depth at the goaltending position and we like all the options that allows us moving forward."

Kolzig, an NHL All-Star in 1998 and 2000, won the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender after posting 41 wins in 1999-2000, and also helped the Capitals reach the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals.

Kolzig, drafted 19th overall by Washington in 1989, played parts of six seasons with Washington before taking over as the team's starter in 1997-98.

He registered a 25-21 record last season, his seventh 25-plus win season, and became the 23rd NHL goaltender to record 300 career victories.

Kolzig, a native South African, has represented Germany on the international stage four times including the 1998 and 2006 Winter Olympics, the 1997 world championships and the 1996 World Cup.

(Writing by Larry Fine; Editing by John Mehaffey)