NHL News 21st August 2012

Philadelphia - On Monday, Scott Hartnell announced he had signed a multi-year contract extension. Terms of the deal were not released, but it is reported the deal is for 6 years, worth around $28.5 million. The new contract takes affect with the 2013-14 season, and will keep Hartnell with the team through the 2018-19 season. Hartnell had a career-best totals of 37 goals, 67 points and 16 power-play goals last season. He was 6th in the NHL in goals and 2^nd in power-play goals, while he played in his first NHL All-Star Game. He also played all 82 games last season, and has missed just three games in five seasons with the Flyers. Hartnell started last season slowly, with just 2 assists in his first 6 games, and was skating on the fourth line with limited power-play time. Things changed, however, on Oct. 22, when coach Peter Laviolette placed Hartnell on a line with Claude Giroux and Jaromir Jagr. Jagr has sinced signed with the Dallas Stars last month, but Hartnell believes that with Jakub Voracek getting first cracks on filling Jagr's top-line role, the chemistry Hartnell, Giroux and Jagr had last season can be recreated with Voracek. In 5 seasons with the Flyers, Hartnell has 129 goals and 263 points. He's also become one of the more popular players in team history for his outgoing personality, out-sized hair and "Hartnell Down" charity, which turned a fan's joke about his lack of skating ability into a popular fund-raising cause. He also does an interesting impersonation of Hulk Hogan. Hartnell is entering the final season of the 6 year deal he signed after being acquired by the Flyers in June 2007. Rather than wait and examine things as an unrestricted free agent next July, Hartnell said all he really wanted to was stay in Philadelphia. Originally drafted by the Nashville Predators with the sixth pick of the 2000 Entry Draft, Hartnell has 222 goals and 474 points in 843 games with the Predators and Flyers.

Paul Holmgren (Flyers GM) - "We are pleased to announce that we have agreed with Scott on a multi-year extension, Scott has been a very good player for us over the last five seasons and we look forward to many more good years to come."

Hartnell - "I'm pleased to stay in Philadelphia, Mr. Snider (Flyers Chairman) and Mr. Holmgren made a commitment to me five years ago to be a Flyer and I've absolutely loved every second of it. We've got a great team, a great bunch of guys and a great future chance to win a Stanley Cup. That was a big part of it. I want to win, I play hockey to win and I think we've got a good thing going. I think [Holmgren] saw something in me a little different than in years past, I had a lot of confidence in myself. I'm 30 years old now, and who knows when a player slows down, but the way we talked and the way I believe I can play, hopefully I can keep up the pace I had last year for a bunch of years. Being focused more on hockey, getting upstairs in the gym, being prepared for practice. … I was more in tune and more focused with practicing with him than I have been in my career. I'm going to take a lot of what I learned last year and the success that we had last year and continue that going forward. I give Jaromir Jagr a lot of credit for my success, I think Jake got stronger as the year went on, Every game he felt more confident with the puck, and he had a great playoffs. He played his heart out. He has a lot of speed. … He's another left-handed shot who plays the right side like Jags [Jagr] does. I don't think it'll be too hard to find chemistry. I love the way [Laviolette] coaches, He's an offensive-minded coach, he loves to get on the forecheck, he loves guys that hit. He's a real motivator for me. That "24/7" [Road to the Winter Classic HBO] series last winter did a good job of how he can call you out in a particular group, call you out in front of everyone, or sit you down if you need a spanking to get going again. I really love the fact that Lavi re-signed as well. Hopefully we can continue that chemistry and build on bigger and better years for the Flyers. I haven't had better times than I've had in Philly, The fans are awesome and I'm really Flyer-ed up to keep it going."
Nashville – Mike Fisher signed a 2 year contract extension yesterday, the team announced at its annual "Skate of the Union" town hall-style meeting. The deal is for $8.4 million, ($4.2 million per season). Fisher would have been an unrestricted free agent after the 2012-13 campaign. Fisher, acquired from Ottawa before the 2011 trade deadline, had 24 goals and 51 points in his first full season with the Predators. He has 196 goals and 411 points in 774 career games.