Yanni Gourde never really wanted to leave the Tampa Bay Lightning after helping them win the Stanley Cup. Now he might be able to finish out his time in the NHL with them.
Gourde signed a six-year deal Monday worth just under $14 million, keeping him under contract through the 2030-31 season at a salary cap hit of $2.33 million.
“I wanted to stay in Tampa for a long time,” Gourde said on a video call with reporters. “That was the biggest thing for me was getting some term and be able to stay and play in Tampa for the remaining years of my career. That was the biggest part. I’m so excited that we could make this happen.”
Gourde was a big part of Tampa Bay winning back-to-back titles in 2020 and ’21. Seattle took Gourde in the expansion draft that summer coming off the second Cup run, and he played three-plus seasons for the Kraken.
The Lightning reacquired the 33-year-old center ahead of the trade deadline in March. General manager Julien BriseBois at the time expressed confidence in getting Gourde signed after sending a couple of conditional first-round picks and more to Seattle for him and Oliver Bjorkstrand.
“I was hoping it would be a possibility, but you never know until the negotiation starts,” Gourde said. “Obviously Tampa’s always been at the top of my list when I was in Seattle if I were to get traded again or go somewhere else or sign as a free agent. When March came and I was traded here, I was so excited to come back.”
Gourde missed several weeks during this past regular season with a sports hernia and subsequent surgery. He also broke a finger in Tampa Bay's first-round loss to defending champion Florida, and despite that early exit believes the team's Stanley Cup window is wide open.
“Obviously a disappointing end of the season in the first round, but this group was really good and I really believe in this group,” Gourde said. “The biggest aspect is just trying to find a way to win, find a way to perform, find a way to be proud to wear that Tampa Bay Lightning jersey. Obviously the ultimate goal is to win a championship.”
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
