Most NHL players have only one opportunity to enter unrestricted free agency and cash in with a lucrative salary on the open market.
That opportunity awaited winger Patric Hornqvist, as his current contract was set to expire in the summer. However, money wasn't his highest priority.
Hornqvist doesn't want to play anywhere else
"This is the city I want to be in," said Hornqvist, who signed a five-year contract extension with the Penguins this morning. "I'm really happy to stay here for five more years. We always have a chance to win. We have a great core group in here. That was the key situation for me too. I want to win. We have a great chance here."
Hornqvist, 31, has been an integral part of the Penguins since he was acquired in the summer of 2014. He's posted 85 goals and 178 points in 267 games. Hornqvist's biggest goal was last season's Stanley Cup-clinching tally in the final minute of Game 6 against Nashville.
"We're thrilled to get him under contract and sign him. We're thrilled for Patric," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "He's deserving of the contract. He's been such a big part of this team and what it's been able to accomplish over the last couple of seasons."
But on-ice production aside, it's the off-ice aspects of Hornqvist's game that make him such a valuable member of the organization.
"It's obvious what he brings to our team both on the ice and off the ice," Sullivan said. "He brings so much energy. He's a positive guy. He really brings a dimension to our dressing room that is unique. I think everyone that's part of our dressing room is appreciative of what Patric brings. There's no one more deserving of the contract that he signed and we're thrilled to have him."
Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford has a rule. He never negotiates contracts during the season. It's only occurred a few times throughout his 30-year career as GM in the NHL.
So when Rutherford approached Hornqvist at Christmas to start negotiating a new deal, it was a monumental moment.
"That's a big compliment for the GM to say that. I'm really happy for that comment," Hornqvist said. "That makes me want to stay even more. That says what this organization is all about. We want to win. They take care of their players really well and I'm glad to be here."
Hornqvist will receive an average annual value of $5.3 million in his new deal, a modest upgrade from his current $4.25 million. But more important than the salary was the length of the contract.
"We wanted those five years and we got it. I'm happy about that," Hornqvist said. "I'll try my best here for five years. That was the key for me in this."
Five years is a long commitment by the Pens for a player like Hornqvist, who plays with reckless abandon and whose body takes a physical beating on a nightly basis. But Hornqvist is one of the strongest and best-conditioned players on the roster. He expects to maintain his current style for the next five years and beyond.
"I've been playing in this league for 10 years and I feel great," he said. "I'm blessed to have an opportunity to play for five more years."
Hornqvist is mostly elated that he won't have to deal with the negotiations anymore. And can just worry about the thing that he does best - play hockey.
"I'm so glad this is over with now so we can start playing and don't focus on that," he said. "I think both sides are happy. Now the fun starts."
