The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed captain Ryan Getzlaf to an eight-year contract.
The deal is worth $66 million for an average of $8.25 million per season, league sources told ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun.
The Ducks announced the deal Friday with Getzlaf, the former Canadian Olympic center who has spent his entire NHL career with Anaheim. His new contract runs through the 2020-21 season.
Getzlaf would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer along with Corey Perry, the former NHL MVP and his longtime teammate. Perry remains signed to his current deal.
Getzlaf, 27, has scored 499 points in 534 games with Anaheim, establishing himself as one of the NHL’s top playmakers. He won the Stanley Cup in 2007 and became Anaheim’s captain in 2010.
“This is a wonderful day for my family, as Anaheim has become our home,” said Getzlaf, a native of Saskatchewan. “The fans here have treated me very well, and I look forward to being part of a winning hockey team and contributing to the Orange County community for years to come.”
After struggling last year to his lowest-scoring performance in a full NHL season, Getzlaf is in the midst of an outstanding season for the Ducks (16-3-3), who have the NHL’s second-best record behind Chicago.
Getzlaf has nine goals and 18 assists with a plus-10 rating in just 22 games this season, tying with Chicago’s Patrick Kane for the Western Conference scoring lead.
Perry has seemed more interested than Getzlaf in exploring free agency. The gold-medal-winning Canadian Olympians have spent their entire careers with Anaheim, which drafted them together in the first round in 2003.
Ducks general manager Bob Murray has been eager to re-sign both Getzlaf and Perry, even though Anaheim has won just one playoff round in the five seasons since the franchise’s only Stanley Cup title. After several years of slow starts, the duo have justified Murray’s faith in them this season with strong play, leading the Ducks to a significant lead in the Pacific Division near the midway point of the lockout-shortened season.
“We are very happy to have Ryan committed to this franchise long-term,” Murray said. “He has often expressed his interest to stay in Anaheim for his entire career, a goal we share. He is a leader, a proven winner, and possesses a skill set that’s hard to find. This is a great day for the Ducks.”
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