Jojo Doria

Tampa Bay, FL

The Tampa Bay Lightning rewarded unheralded right wing Teddy Purcell with a three-year contract extension after a breakout season.

The new deal is worth $13.5 million for Purcell, who scored 24 goals and had 41 assists in 81 games for the Lightning last season. He has one more season on his current contract that will earn him $2.375 million.

The contract runs from 2013-14 to 2015-16, according to Lightning vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman.

Last season, Purcell has set career highs in goals, assists, points, power-play goals (eight), game-winning goals with three and rating with plus nine.

The 6-foot-2, 201-pound forward ranked first on the Bolts in rating, second in assists, and third for goals and points.

He registered a Lightning season-high and career-best, 11-game point streak from February 21 through March 8, tallying seven goals and 11 assists during that stretch.

Purcell also represented Canada at the IIHF World Championships, registering a goal and two points in eight games.

Purcell has appeared in 272 career NHL games with the Lightning and Los Angeles Kings, recording 52 goals and 150 points.

He was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week for the period ending February 26, 2012, notching three goals and seven assists in four games.

Purcell netted his second career hat trick and posted a plus-four rating in the Lightning's final game last year against the Winnipeg Jets on April 7.

Originally undrafted out of the University of Maine, Purcell was signed by Los Angeles as a free agent on April 27, 2007.

He joined the Lightning after being acquired via trade from the Kings in exchange for center Jeff Halpern and a third-round selection at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in 2010.

 

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Lightning Reward Teddy Purcell with 3-year Extension