Dallas Stars General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today that the club has signed defenseman Sergei Zubov to a one-year contract extension worth $5.35 million in 2008-09. Zubov’s current contract was set to expire at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season.
“Sergei is an elite NHL player and we are very pleased he is under contract with us over the next two seasons,” said Armstrong. “He is a valuable piece to our hockey club and has been consistently one of the best in the NHL at his position.”
Since the start of the 1993-94 season, Zubov ranks second among all NHL defensemen in points with 700 (trailing only Nicklas Lidstrom, 767) and is the only active defenseman to have posted 40-plus points and 30-plus assists for 11 consecutive seasons.
Zubov, 37, has played in 783 games for Dallas over the course of 10 seasons and ranks first among defensemen in franchise history in goals (107), assists (403) and points (510). Among all players in franchise history, Zubov ranks third in assists, fourth in games played (783) and seventh in points.
The Moscow native also holds numerous franchise records for defensemen in the playoffs, including most career assists (52) and points (66), as well as the most goals (4), assists (6) and points (10) for a blue-liner in a single playoff series, all set vs. Edmonton in 2003. Among all playoff performers in franchise history, he ranks second in assists, fourth in games played (103) and sixth in points.
During the 2006-07 season, Zubov posted 12 goals and 42 assists for 54 points in 78 appearances, ranking first on the club in average ice time (25:56), second in assists and third in points. Appearing in his 1,000th career NHL game on Mar. 15 vs. Calgary, he became the ninth European born defensemen to reach the milestone. He also became the third European defensemen (also Lidstrom and Salming) and the first Russian d-man to record 700 career NHL points on Dec. 16 at Los Angeles.
Zubov’s most prolific NHL season came in 1994, when he notched 11 goals and a career-high 77 assists for 89 points as he helped lead the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup. During the 1999 playoffs, he led all Stars defensemen in scoring with 13 points (1-12-13) and collected a game-high 54:09 minutes of ice time in Dallas’ triple-overtime, Stanley Cup Finals-clinching victory in Game Six at Buffalo.
Originally selected by the Rangers in the fifth round (85th overall) in the 1990 Entry Draft, Zubov was acquired by Dallas from Pittsburgh in exchange for Kevin Hatcher on June 22, 1996. Prior to gaining American citizenship, he represented Russia at the 1996 World Cup and played for the Confederation of Independent States (C.I.S.) team that won the gold medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics. Zubov also starred for Russia at two World Junior Championships, winning gold in 1989 and silver in 1990.
“This is the place that my family and I love and I want to finish my career here,” said Zubov. “I am very pleased with this extension and look forward to a successful season for the Dallas Stars in 2007-08.” |
