SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Sharks signed captain Joe Thornton to a $21 million, three-year contract extension Saturday, locking up another key player before he could leave for free agency.
“Joe stepped up and made a tremendous commitment to this franchise, his teammates and the fans in San Jose,” general manager Doug Wilson said. “We are very pleased that we now have another key piece of this team’s core under contract for the next four seasons.”
Before the start of free agency this summer, the Sharks signed top forwards Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski to four-year contracts at reasonable prices.
Defensemen Dan Boyle and Douglas Murray and forwards Dany Heatley and Ryane Clowe have already been locked up to long- term deals.
The 31-year-old Thornton is making $7.2 million this season and likely could have gotten a richer deal had he tested the open market after July 1.
“You take a little less to win a (Stanley) Cup,” said Thornton, who helped San Jose post the top record in the Western Conference the past two seasons.
Coyotes’ situation now clearer
PHOENIX — The NHL is praising the lease agreement between Chicago investor Matthew Hul- sizer and the city of Glendale, Ariz., saying it will “finally lead to a transition of ownership of the Phoenix Coyotes.”
The city announced Friday that it had reached an agreement in principle with Hulsizer on a new lease for the team to play in Glendale’s Arena.
Footnotes.
The Ducks put defenseman Andreas Lilja on the active roster and assigned defenseman Luca Sbisa to their AHL affiliate in Syracuse.
• The Blue Jackets placed forward Jared Boll on the injured list and added defenseman Nate Guenin to the roster on emergency recall from Springfield of the AHL.
• The Capitals recalled defenseman Brian Fahey from the Hershey Bears of the AHL.
