Hebert Gets $12 Million Extension

The Mighty Ducks took another giant step toward stabilizing their future when they signed goaltender Guy Hebert to a three-year contract extension worth about $12 million on Thursday.

The deal puts Hebert, an original Duck who is earning $2.6 million this season, among the four highest-paid goalies in the NHL.

Buffalo’s Dominik Hasek, the league’s most valuable player the last two seasons, is the highest-paid goalie at $8 million. Next comes Colorado’s Patrick Roy, who last week signed a two-year extension worth $15 million.

Mike Richter of the New York Rangers, at $5.1 million, is the only other goalie currently making more than Hebert will next season.

Hebert, who has a 16-18-7 record and a career-best five shutouts in 41 games this season, made it clear during the course of a two-week negotiating period that he hoped to stay in Anaheim and end his career with the Ducks.

He acknowledged that it might have hindered his bargaining position but also said he didn’t particularly care.

“My first priority was that I was happy where I was playing,” said Hebert, who could have become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. “My priority was to stay in Anaheim if at all possible. I think we’re headed in the right direction. I want to see if we can accomplish something big here.”

Hebert, 32, might have commanded more as an unrestricted free agent next summer, particularly after the Avalanche gave Roy a lucrative extension last week.

“Obviously, that made Guy the premier goalie available in the summer,” General Manager Pierre Gauthier said when asked if there was a connection between Roy’s new deal and a new one for Hebert.

“It certainly made this a priority. We felt it was very important to put this on paper and get it done right away. We didn’t want the distraction of our No. 1 goalie becoming an unrestricted free agent. It was important for our stability.”

The signing of Hebert leaves only one noteworthy bit of business still to be conducted for the Ducks, who have a 18-22-9 record going into tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Gauthier also must re-sign left wing Paul Kariya, who will be a restricted free agent after the season.

Don’t expect it to happen right away, however. Gauthier and agent Don Baizley, who represents Kariya and Hebert, have decided to wait until the season is over to begin talks.

A new deal for Kariya is one of the last pieces of the puzzle for Gauthier, who also has right wing Teemu Selanne and center Steve Rucchin signed through the 2001-02 season.

To be sure, Gauthier must also seek out a standout defenseman between now and the March 23 trade deadline and he also could use more offensive firepower.

But Hebert is pleased with the moves Gauthier has made since replacing Jack Ferreira as general manager last summer.

“I think it’s another sign that Pierre and [Disney Sports chairman] Tony Tavares want to make sure the team is stabilized,” Hebert said of his signing. “I think management has realized what steps it needs to take and has taken them.”

Hebert represents a strong link to the Ducks’ past, short though it may be. The Ducks made him their first pick in the 1993 expansion draft, selecting him from the St. Louis Blues.

He holds the Ducks’ goaltending records for most victories with 118, most games played (304), most shutouts (20) and lowest goals-against average (2.78).