Phoenix Coyotes give LW Paul Bissonnette two-year, $1.475 million contract extension-NHL News Update
Paul Bissonnette might have contributed to Phoenix Coyotes in terms of points the past few seasons but his physical style of play and dominating presence were enough to convince the Western Conference franchise to give him a two-year contract extension worth
an estimated $1.475 million, on Wednesday, October 5, 2011.
Phoenix Coyotes general manager, Don Maloney, made the announcement Wednesday afternoon.
"We are very pleased to sign Paul to a multi-year extension", said Coyotes GM, Don Maloney. "He plays an important role on our team and we are looking for him to take his game to the next level this season".
Picked up as the 121st overall pick during round-four of the 2003 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft by Pittsburgh Penguins, Bissonnette played only a single, 15 game season with his original draft team and remained with their affiliate
in the American Hockey League (AHL), Wilkes-Barre Penguins for another 57 contests.
He moved on to Phoenix Coyotes with one-year remaining on his two-year contract coming out of an entry-level deal with Phoenix Coyotes for the 2009-2010 season and signed another two year settlement which would have kept him on the line-up up until 2011-2012.
Now Bissonnette can concentrate on playing since Phoenix will keep him until he becomes an unrestricted free agent in July of 2014.
Registering a team high of 71 minutes of penalty time last season, Bissonnette thinks that his performance during this year’s training camp and preseason were also a factor in the team wanting to secure him on the roster for a few more seasons.
“I came in and thought I had a pretty good camp, and they thought the same and I think that it’s one of those scenarios where they see the potential and hope that I can rise to the occasion and give them that”, Bissonnette said discussing about participating
in the training camp and future plans.
Hailing from Welland, Ontario, Canada, Paul Bissonnette is expected to be on the Phoenix Coyotes line-up when they start of the new regular season on Saturday, October 8, 2011, against Sharks in San Jose, California.
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