| October 7, 2022, 12:41 p.m
October 7, 2022, 12:41 p.m
The Calgary Flames and defenseman Mackenzie Wigger have agreed to an eight-year, $50 million contract extension, the team announced Friday.
Weegar was part of a July 25 trade with the Panthers that sent Matthew Tkachuk to Florida and brought Jonathan Huberdeau and Weegar to Calgary.
Weegar would become an unrestricted free agent the following year.
“It’s going to be fun,” Wieger said of the upcoming season with the Flames. “It’s going to be a long road, it’s obviously a lot of hard work and the hard work starts now. One of the reasons I signed here is because I believe in this team … we have a winning team, a winning coach and a winning culture here.”
The six-foot, 206-pound Weegar had eight goals and 36 assists in 80 games last season.
The 26-year-old blueliner was far from a can’t-miss prospect as a young player growing up in Ottawa and his journey to the NHL included stops in Jr. B and the ECHL.
“When I signed the deal, I just kept thinking how long the road was for me,” Wieger said. “All my friends and family … all the support. It’s not just me who signed this deal, it’s everyone around me.”
The Panthers selected Weegar in the seventh round, 206th overall, in the 2013 draft.
That year he won a Memorial Cup with the Halifax Mooseheads.
Wieger collected 27 goals and 94 assists in his six seasons with the Panthers.
His contract includes $6.25 million against the NHL salary cap annually.
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