Pittsburgh Penguins are obviously pleased with the way Swedish winger Patric Hornqvist is performing this season. The team announced on Tuesday that they have signed the 31-year-old to a five-year, $26.5 million extension.
When you score goals like this…
You get a contract extension like this: https://t.co/U9D7xWX2sD
Congratulations to Patric Hornqvist on a five-year contract extension with an AAV of $5.3 million. pic.twitter.com/7KllC801xH
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 27, 2018
The extension Penguins gave to Hornqvist isn’t much of a surprise. Since arriving at the team in 2014, winger managed to score more than 20 goals in each of the three years he played for the Penguins.
“We are thrilled for Patric,” – said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. “He has been such a big part of this team and what they’ve been able to accomplish. He’s a positive guy. He brings a dimension to our dressing room that’s unique. There’s no one more deserving.“
Patric Hornqvist played an important role in Penguins’ back to back Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017. In the 2017 Stanley Cup finals against his former team Nashville Predators, Hornqvist scored the winning goal in the sixth game and secured the trophy for the Penguins.
“This is the city I want to be in and I’m really happy to stay here five more years,” – said Hornqvist about the extension. “We always have a chance to win and we have a great core group in here, so that was obviously the key situation for me, too.“
“I think we have something great here,” – he added. “Just have to go out here and prove it.“
Patric Hornqvist was picked last in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by Nashville Predators. He remained to play in his native Sweden until 2008–09 when he came to the U.S. in order to try and make Predators’ roster. After a tough rookie season in NHL, he broke into the team in his next one, managing to score 30 goals. Although he established himself as a valuable part of the Predators’ team, he was traded to the Penguins in a deal that sent forward James Neal in the opposite direction. Since then, Hornqvist has been playing consistently good, averaging more than 48 points per season.
