PAVEL DATSUYK SIGNS A THREE YEAR EXTENSION WITH THE RED WINGS..YOUTUBE UNDER: CURRICH5

**Admin** Tue Jun 18, 2013 11:57 am

PAVEL DATSUYK SIGNS A THREE YEAR EXTENSION WITH THE RED WINGS..YOUTUBE UNDER: CURRICH5 Young52

Detroit Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Ken Holland announced that the club has agreed to terms with center Pavel Datsyuk on a three-year contract extension. In accordance with team policy, additional terms of the deal will not be disclosed. Datsyuk has one year remaining on his current contract. The terms of the three-year extension will activate at the beginning of the 2014-15 season.

Datsyuk, 34, was selected by Detroit in the sixth round (171^st overall) of the 1998 National Hockey League Entry Draft. The Sverdlovsk, Russia, native recently completed his 11^th season in Hockeytown. Through 779 career NHL games, Datsyuk has posted 767 career points (255G-512A-767P) and has led Detroit in scoring six times. He captured the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward three times (2008, 2009, 2010) and won the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct in four consecutive seasons from 2006-09, becoming just the second player in NHL history to do so. Datsyuk has been selected to play in four NHL All-Star Games (2004, 2008, 2009, 2012) and was a nominee for the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player in 2009. He won the NHL’s plus-minus award in 2008 (+41) and was selected as a Second Team NHL All-Star in 2008-09. Datsyuk has captured two Stanley Cup championships while donning the winged wheel in 2002 and 2008.

“We’re obviously thrilled to extend the contract of the best two-way player in the National Hockey League,” said Holland. “This deal ensures that Pavel will be in Detroit for the next four years. His accomplishments over the past 11 seasons demonstrate what a truly dynamic player he is. His work ethic is second to none. We feel we have a tremendous leadership group moving forward in Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Kronwall.”

Datsyuk led the Red Wings during the 2012-13 season with 49 points (15G-34A-49P) and tied for the league lead with 56 takeaways. On March 22, 2013, at Anaheim, he hit two personal milestones becoming just the 11^th player in team history to score 250 goals for Detroit and just the sixth player in franchise history to record 500 assists in a Red Wings sweater. Shortly after on April 14, Datsyuk moved past Norm Ullman into sixth place on the team’s all-time scoring list when he recorded his 759^th career point. His 767 career points in The Motor City now trail only Gordie Howe (1,809), Steve Yzerman (1,755), Alex Delvecchio (1,281), Nicklas Lidstrom (1,142) and Sergei Fedorov (954).