Flyers sign Pronger to 7-year extension
President and Chief Operating Officer of Comcast-Spectacor Peter Luukko, left, Paul Holmgren, Philadelphia Flyers' General Manager, center, left, and Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider, right, present Chris Pronger, the team's new defenseman, with a jersey at the end of a press conference where he was introduced, Monday, July 6, 2009, in Voorhees, N.J.
Alyssa Cwanger / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Daily News
That didn’t take long.
In a stunning development, the Flyers signed defenseman Chris Pronger to a seven-year contract extension for a reported $35 million on Tuesday.
During his introductory news conference Monday in Voorhees, Pronger, 34, said he hoped to end his career as a Flyer.
This virtually ensures that will happen.
The Flyers released statements from general manager Paul Holmgren and Pronger.
“We are pleased to have one of the NHL’s premier defensemen in our organization and under contract long term,” Holmgren said. “When we made the trade for Chris, it was our intention to get him signed to an extension and we are glad we could come to this agreement today.”
In a draft-day trade, the Flyers acquired Pronger and a minor-league forward from Anaheim for Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, two No. 1 draft picks and a conditional third-round pick.
Pronger said he was “very excited to be able to retire a Philadelphia Flyer and I am looking forward to many years with the Flyers logo on my chest. I think both parties wanted to get it handled in a timely fashion in order to move on and get things set up for future years down the line so that the Flyers could make moves either this year or next year, and know that they had me in place.”
In 2008-09, Pronger recorded 48 points (11 goals, 37 assists) and 88 penalty minutes in 82 regular-season games. He led the Ducks in average time on ice (26:56 – second in NHL). He also posted 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 13 Stanley Cup playoff games.
