The Vancouver Canucks took care of some housekeeping by re-signing forward Steve Bernier to a two-year contract worth $4 million.
"Steve Bernier had a career year with Vancouver and we look forward to him building on a successful first season with the club," said Canucks' general manager Mike Gillis in a statement. "Steve is a talented young player, who will continue to improve and mature over the course of his career."
The 24-year old Bernier tied a career high with 15 goals and set career highs in assists with 17 and points with 32. He also scored four game-winning goals to help the Canucks captured the Northwest Division title. In the playoffs he added a pair of goals and two assists in 10 games.
In 258 career games, the Quebec City native has 60 goals and 62 assists. He was originally a first round draft pick, 16th overall, of the San Jose Sharks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
In other Canucks' news head coach Alain Vigneault said Thursday that forward Pavol Demitra will undergo shoulder surgery and will be out four months. He suffered the injury in Game 2 of Vancouver's second round series against Chicago. Demitra finished the season with 20 goals and 33 assists in 69 games and added a goal and two assists in the playoffs.
Vigneault also said forward Taylor Pyatt will have arthroscopic knee surgery and forward Alex Burrows will have an operation to remove bone chips from his left wrist.
