On Thursday, June 13th, 2013 the Penguins and Evgeni Malkin have agreed to a new eight-year contract extension that is worth $76 million and is a cap hit of $9.5 million per year.
Malkin still has a year left on his current contract and this new contract extension will take effect in the 2014-15 season, running through to the 2021-22 season.
Malkin was happy to have this deal done, keeping him in Pittsburgh. It’s no secret that Malkin has loved Pittsburgh from the moment in stepped on the ice as a Penguin, which was in October of 2006.
“I think my first year when I came, I saw how people liked me and how people are happy to see me here. I remember my first game when I stepped on the ice and everyone stood up and started clapping for me. My heart pushed me so hard. It’s an unbelievable memory,” expressed Malkin.
Malkin has won many awards as a Penguin, the most prized one being the Stanley Cup.
The Penguins General Manager, Ray Shero commented on the deal with Malkin, “(Malkin) made it very clear, which I was happy to hear, that this is where he wanted to play and if we could possibly make it work, he would love to sign an extension…He certainly has, like all our players and all of us, room for improvement. But he’s 26 years old and I believe his best days could be ahead of him. So, really, really happy to have him under contract, he’s a huge part of our franchise. It’s a good day for the Penguins and Evgeni and his family. Look forward to having him back and continuing to improve upon his game on and off the ice.”
I have to say, I am very happy to hear this news. I am not shocked by any of this and knew that Malkin (Geno) would be a Penguin for life. It’s something special, when a team can draw such amazing players to its franchise. A franchise in which players fall in love with everything from the organization, teammates, coaches, owners, fans, and the city itself.
Ray Shero has a lot of hard decisions ahead of him this off-season and it’s a short one at that. It will be interesting to see what Shero does next. I would think that the Penguins would be focusing on getting Kris Letang a new contract, as he is entering his final contract year with the Penguins.
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