Aug 31, 2007, 17:50 GMT
San Jose, CA - The San Jose Sharks signed center Patrick Marleau to a two-year contract extension on Friday. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
'Patrick is among the game's top forwards and his stats speak for themselves,' said Sharks general manager Doug Wilson. 'Winning is his ultimate goal and getting this extension done prior to the start of the season allows us to focus solely on hockey.'
Marleau was San Jose's second-leading scorer last season with 78 points, placing second on the club with 32 goals and 46 assists, while earning his second selection to the NHL All-Star Game. He has hit the 30-goal plateau in each of the last two seasons, and has scored 20-or-more goals in six straight and seven of his nine professional seasons.
The 27-year-old native of Saskatchewan was selected by the Sharks with the second overall pick of the 1997 NHL Draft -- one spot after teammate Joe Thornton, who was originally picked by Boston. Marleau made his debut that year with San Jose, and has recorded 219 goals and 491 points in 717 career games, all with the Sharks.
In addition, Marleau has served as team captain since the 2003-2004 season, guiding the team to a 122-64-20 record with three postseason appearances which includes a berth in the 2004 Western Conference finals. He also holds club records in total postseason games (73), playoff goals (31) and playoff points (51).
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