Alex Galchenyuk will be staying in the bleu, blanc and rouge after the former Sting captain signed a three-year contract extension with the Montreal Canadiens.
The deal keeps Galchenyuk under contract with the team until the end of the 2019-2020 season, where he would become an unrestricted free agent. It also helps him avoid an arbitration hearing as he was one of 30 NHLers to file for salary arbitration.
Alex Galchenyuk at the 2012 NHL Draft (blackburnnews.com photo)
The 23-year-old was a restricted free agent, the deal comes a few days after former teammate Nail Yakupov signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche. The two will likely be linked throughout their careers, both played for the Sarnia Sting and were top prospects heading into the 2012 draft. Yakupov went first overall to Edmonton, Galchenyuk fell to the third spot where the Habs happily scooped the talented forward.
Despite being only 23, Galchenyuk has scored 89 goals and 204 points over five seasons with Montreal, with a career high 30 goals in 2015-2016. He tallied 58 goals and 144 points in 103 games during his time with the Sting.
He was in Sarnia for three seasons but an injury kept him to just two regular season games during the 2011-12 campaign, which also happened to be his NHL draft year.
The three-year contract will pay Galchenyuk $14.7-million.
