Tampa Bay Lightning signs Yanni Gourde to a 6-year contract worth nearly $14M
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Gourde was a big part of Tampa Bay winning back-to-back titles in 2020 and '21. Seattle took Gourde in the expansion draft that summer coming off the second Cup run, and he played three-plus seasons for the Kraken.
The Lightning reacquired the 33-year-old center ahead of the trade deadline in March. General manager Julien BriseBois at the time expressed confidence in getting Gourde signed after sending a couple of conditional first-round picks and more to Seattle for him and Oliver Bjorkstrand.
'I was hoping it would be a possibility, but you never know until the negotiation starts,' Gourde said. 'Obviously Tampa's always been at the top of my list when I was in Seattle if I were to get traded again or go somewhere else or sign as a free agent. When March came and I was traded here, I was so excited to come back.'
Gourde missed several weeks during this past regular season with a sports hernia and subsequent surgery. He also broke a finger in Tampa Bay's first-round loss to defending champion Florida, and despite that early exit believes the team's Stanley Cup window is wide open.
'Obviously a disappointing end of the season in the first round, but this group was really good and I really believe in this group,' Gourde said. 'The biggest aspect is just trying to find a way to win, find a way to perform, find a way to be proud to wear that Tampa Bay Lightning jersey. Obviously the ultimate goal is to win a championship.'
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