With the new contract, Luukkonen avoids hearing the arbitration proceedings.
Finnish goalkeeper Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has signed a five-year contract extension with the NHL team Buffalo Sabres, is reported on the league’s website.
In total, the value of the contract is 23.75 million dollars, so Luukkonen’s salary per season is 4.75 million dollars on average.
Luukkonen was reported earlier this month to have applied for an arbitration hearing, where an impartial third party would have defined the terms of the extension contract.
With the new contract, however, Luukkonen avoids hearing the arbitration proceedings. It is usual that an impartial arbiter is not needed in the end.
The young guard’s plans for the upcoming season are clearly different from the opening of last season.
– I came to the training camp last season as a third guard. Now I get to go through the contract negotiations for the first time, they might be a great experience, Luukkonen announced earlier.
Last season’s statistics spoke for Luukkonen’s value. There were five clean sheets, the save percentage was 91 and there were more wins than losses. The successes did not go unnoticed by the person who coached the Sabers last season From Don Granato too.
– He is one of the bright spots of our season, which can go unnoticed. He is constantly able to develop and improve his level as an NHL player, Granato praised.
The Sabres’ success in recent seasons has shone through his absence, but Luukkonen, who is comfortable in Buffalo, can give hope for better things.
– I learn a lot. I want to be a good first goalie in the NHL, Luukkonen summed up his breakthrough season.
Story updated at 8:42 a.m.: Added Luukkonen’s comments and last season’s statistics.