ANCHORAGE, Alaska - New Jersey Devils center Scott Gomez signed a $500 a week contract with the minor league Alaska Aces for the duration of the NHL lockout.

Gomez, the NHL's rookie of the year in 2000, attended East High School in Anchorage.

"It was a no-brainer," Gomez told KTUU-TV. "Money's not everything."

Gomez will make his debut for the winless Aces (0-2-0) on Friday against San Diego.

"It's a shot in the arm," Aces spokesman Jack Michaels said. "In the last couple of hours, we've sold 250 tickets for Friday night and 25 season tickets."

The NHL lockout began 40 days ago, and no negotiations between the league and the players' association are scheduled.

Gomez, a first-round draft pick of the Devils in 1998 and a member of Stanley Cup championship teams in 2000 and '04, was awarded a one-year, $2.9 million contract for this season in arbitration in August. But, players are not paid during the lockout.

Gomez earned $1 million last season when he had 14 goals and 56 assists in 80 games. He joins Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Brad Lukowich as the only NHL players to sign with North American minor league teams. Last month, Lukowich signed with Fort Worth of the Central Hockey League.

"Scott, as you can imagine, had far more lucrative offers to play overseas, including Russia, but he opted to play for his hometown team," Michaels said.

Michaels said Gomez, who took part in his first practice Monday, will live in the Aces' team apartments and travel with the club.