Blackhawks Ink Sharp To 5-Year Extension
(CBS) Patrick Sharp has agreed to a five-year extension with the Blackhawks, the team announced Wednesday.
Sharp was entering the last year of his contract and Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman made it clear that re-signing the winger was a top priority and something he wanted to get done this summer.
"This is just another step that we're trying to indicate of our commitment to excellence and we're trying hard to do everything we can to put a competitive and exciting team on the ice," Bowman said at a press conference announcing the extension Wednesday.
The general manager commended Sharp for sticking through numerous trade rumors over the years. He said he had to reassure Sharp and his agent a number of times in the last year or so that he wasn't going to be traded. That worry from Sharp stemmed from his desire to be a Blackhawk the rest of his career.
"It's always been a focus of mine to stay here and play in Chicago," the forward said. "I love the team and I love the city and there' absolutely no reason why I want to leave."
Sharp has been with the Blackhawks since he was acquired in a trade with Philadelphia in 2005 and has tallied 301 points (150 games, 151 assists) in his six seasons in Chicago.
