The Montreal Canadiens have agreed to a two-year, $4 million contract extension with Alexei Emelin.
Emelin recorded three goals and four assists in 67 games with the Canadiens this past season, his first in the NHL. The 26-year-old led the club with 236 hits, ranking first among NHL rookie defencemen and fourth among league defencemen.
Following the NHL regular season schedule, Emelin helped the Russian team earn a gold medal at the IIHF World Hockey Championship in Scandinavia. In the nine games he played, Emelin recorded two goals and added two assists.
A native of Togliatti, USSR, Emelin was the Canadiens' second pick (third round, 84th overall) at the 2004NHL Entry Draft.
