SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah Hockey Club signed forward Dylan Guenther to an eight-year extension worth $57.14 million on Friday.
Guenther will count just over $7.14 million annually against the salary cap over the term of the contract that runs through the 2032-33 NHL season. The 21-year-old is one of the youngest building blocks for the team that was known until earlier this year as the Arizona Coyotes and is now based in Salt Lake City.
“Dylan is elite in every aspect on and off the ice,” Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said. “He is a young, highly skilled forward with a shot that’s evolving into one of the best in the NHL. He’s also a first-class person with a strong determination to be great. We look forward to having Dylan as a core player for this organization for many years to come.”
Guenther split last season between Arizona and the American Hockey League’s Tucson Roadrunners. He had 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 points in 45 NHL games with the Coyotes.
“There isn’t a better example than Dylan when we talk about the combination of talent and character that we are so excited to build a new franchise with here in Utah,” president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said. “Today is another exciting day for our organization and our fans who will come to love Dylan, not just as a hockey player but as a member of our community.”
Guenther, an Edmonton, Alberta, native, who also played his junior hockey there, was the ninth pick in the 2021 draft. He has 50 points in 78 career games since breaking into the league.
“This is a very happy day for me and my family,” Guenther said. “Everything about this organization is on the right track, and I know we have an opportunity to do some special things here for a long time. Utah is where I want to be, and I’m proud to commit to my teammates and the organization long term.”
Guenther is now signed longer than any other player in the organization, surpassing defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, who was acquired in an offseason trade from Tampa Bay and is under contract through 2031. Forward Clayton Keller and defenseman Sean Durzi are each signed through 2028.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
FILE - Arizona Coyotes right wing Dylan Guenther (11) celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, April 3, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Jake Sanderson scored 15 seconds into overtime and the Ottawa Senators stretched their win streak to six games with a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.
It’s the first time since March 2017 that Ottawa has won six in a row.
Shane Pinto scored twice for the Senators, Claude Giroux added a goal and Josh Norris scored short-handed. Sanderson also contributed a pair of assists.
Leevi Merilainen stopped 21 shots to earn his first NHL victory.
Brock Boeser scored twice for the Canucks, and Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists. Jake DeBrusk rounded out the scoring for a Vancouver side that lost its third straight outing (0-1-2). Kevin Lankinen made 17 saves.
Canucks: The team has lost four of its last five outings and some of its top stars have gone cold offensively. J.T. Miller has not scored in the six games he’s played since returning from a 10-game absence, Elias Pettersson does not have a point in his last six outings and Conor Garland last recorded a goal on Nov. 29.
Senators: Merilainen stepped in for Linus Ullmark, who has been a superstar for Ottawa in recent weeks. Heading into Saturday, Ullmark had powered the team to five straight victories after backup Anton Forsberg went down with an injury during a pre-game skate on Dec. 14.
Boeser knotted the score at 4 with 4:50 left in the game when he blasted a rebound past Merilainen.
Hughes now has 40 points on the season (eight goals, 32 assists). He is the seventh defenseman in NHL history to hit the mark in 33 or fewer games in multiple seasons.
The Senators visit the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, and the Canucks host the San Jose Sharks on Monday.
AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson (85) scores on Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (35) during overtime of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen (1) stops the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Brock Boeser, right, celebrates his goal against the Ottawa Senators with Quinn Hughes (43) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson (85) celebrates his game-winning goal with Brady Tkachuk (7) after overtime of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)