The Winnipeg Jets locked up restricted free agent centre Mark Scheifele to a new deal on Friday. The contract is for eight years and worth $49 million. It starts next season, and carries an AAV/Cap Hit of $6.125 million per season.
The Jets agreed to terms on a $49 million, 8-year deal with forward Mark Scheifele with a cap hit of $6.125 million. #NHLJets #Winnipeg
— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) July 8, 2016
What an honour to sign with @NHLJets for 8 years!! Dream come true and couldn’t be more excited for the future #gojetsgo✈️✈️✈️
— mark scheifele (@markscheifele55) July 8, 2016
Winnipeg Jets Sign Mark Scheifele to an 8-Year Contract
Scheifele, 23, led the Jets with 29 goals last season. He added 32 assists to finish with 61 points in 71 games. The Jets made Scheifele their first ever draft pick after the move from Atlanta. They selected him 7th overall in the 2011 NHL Draft. Scheifele has 58 goals and 87 assists for 145 points in 227 career NHL games over three full NHL seasons.
“I’m definitely happy with my progression, but I know there’s a long way to go,” Scheifele, told NHL.com. “I’m going to continue to work on that. I know signing this deal realistically does nothing. It’s all what happens on the ice that matters, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do — continue to work on my game, continue to be the best player that I can be and work to be the best player that I can be. That’s my goal, to be one of the elite players in the League and one of the best players in the League.”
Scheifele’s work ethic both on and off the ice was considered an important factor as the Jets decided to give him a max-term deal.
“We’ve been able to watch him, obviously, very closely since he’s been on the NHL side of the Jets,” Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said, “and the commitment level on the ice, the commitment level off the ice, the qualities that he embodies just as a human being and as a person, we were really excited that we were able to get this done today.”
Scheifele recently helped Canada to win a gold medal at the 2016 IIHF World Championships.
Main Photo:
