SUNRISE — Just before the Florida Panthers took the ice Tuesday night to defend their Stanley Cup title , they locked up one of the biggest pieces of their core — Carter Verhaeghe .
Florida agreed to an eight-year contract extension with its all-time playoff goals leader totaling $56 million that will carry a $7 million annual cap hit.
“I think it’s everything,” Verhaeghe said. “Growing up, you are just trying to make the NHL and find a place and I think to be a Florida Panther for this long is a huge honor for me, and to extend it longer, I’m just thankful for the organization to believe in me and give me the opportunity a couple years ago and I kind of haven’t looked back. I’m just appreciative of everyone and how they treated me and I’m so happy to be a Panther for life.”
Verhaeghe, 29, holds the franchise playoff records for goals (26), even-strength points (21), overtime goals (5) and game-winning goals (10). The forward out of Hamilton, Canada scored series-clinching goals in overtime against the Washington Capitals in 2022 and the Boston Bruins in 2023.
“Carter is one of our most trusted players. South Florida has watched him evolve into one of the NHL’s most elite goal scorers while also being a relentless forechecker,” Panthers General Manager Bill Zito said. “His willpower and perseverance have allowed him to repeatedly succeed as a critical performer on the biggest stages. He is an integral part of our team now and into the future, and we are thrilled to see him remain a part of our core group.”
Verhaeghe gets called into Bill Zito's office before game
Verhaeghe, who also won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning, found out about the extension in quite a unique fashion.
He was half-dressed for the team’s home opener against the Boston Bruins when Zito called him into his office. And it was to tell him that he and his agent reached an agreement on the deal.
”I don’t know if it’s something that’s been done before,” Verhaeghe said. “I was halfway dressed and then he went in and told me it was done. So, I was happy to get it done before the game, that way I could focus on the game and not have that go through my head the whole time.”
Verhaeghe did not tell the rest of the team right away when he got back from Zito’s office. He wanted them to enjoy the Stanley Cup banner raising and getting back out there for the first game before he let that spill — although some teammates found out.
”A lot of the guys don’t know, some of them know,” Verhaeghe said. “[Aleksander Barkov] asked me subtly I think and I was like ‘yeah, I’m going to be your teammate for a while.’ And I was just so happy. But I think this is the first big announcement. I didn’t want to put the attention on me. We had a game to play, so I didn’t really want to tell too many people.”
It worked out in the Panthers’ favor on Tuesday as they blitzed the Bruins 6-4.
It was a night that capped off a magical summer for Verhaeghe.
”Panthers win on opening night, raising the banner ceremony, it’s been an awesome couple months,” Verhaeghe said. “Winning the Stanley Cup, I got married, a new contract, it’s been crazy. And getting the rings last night. It’s kind of been a whirlwind so I’m lucky and proud.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Panthers lock up Carter Verhaeghe with 8-year, $56 million contract extension
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