Florida Panthers' star forward: mega contract

The reigning NHL champion team Florida Panthers has signed an important contract.

The Panthers, who have won the last two championships, announced in the early hours of Saturday Finnish time that they have signed an eight-year extension with the playoff MVP Sam Bennett, 29.

Under the new contract, Bennett will earn eight million dollars per season, nearly doubling his previous annual salary of 4.4 million dollars.

“Sam is a unique player who has managed to combine skill and physicality in his game. He has become one of the most impressive playoff players of his generation. He has played an essential role in our two Stanley Cup victories and was awarded the franchise’s first Conn Smythe Trophy,” praised Florida’s GM Bill Zito on the team’s website.

In the past season, Bennett played 76 regular-season games with 25 goals and 26 assists for a total of 51 points. In the playoffs, the versatile forward proved his worth by scoring 15 goals and 7 assists for 22 points in 23 games.