Owen Tippett joined the Philadelphia Flyers after several difficult years in Florida, and his team gave him a vote of confidence on Friday by offering him a long-term contract and a big raise.
The 24-year-old hockey player has accepted an eight-year, $49.6 million extension, general manager Daniel Brière confirmed this afternoon. He thus receives an average annual salary of $6.2 million, which is immense compared to his compensation of $1.5 million for the 2023-2024 campaign.
• Also read: John Tortorella: “I’ve never seen a goal like that”
• Also read: Ryan Poehling signs the biggest contract of his career
The Ontario native therefore avoids becoming a restricted free agent next July. He will become the Flyers' second-highest paid forward behind Sean Couturier.
“Sometimes we have the impression that he is just realizing how good he can be,” Brière said at a press conference. Power forwards like him are hard to find. Power forwards who can score and create on their own are even tougher. We believe he is capable of even more. We believe he will continue to improve. He works hard. The combination of strength, scoring opportunities, leadership qualities and his demeanor gives us the feeling that we can commit to him for the long term.”
Tippett, who scored 49 points last season, is doing even better this season with 18 goals and 30 points in 46 games. In the team rankings he is tied for third place.
A week ago, the winger scored one of the best goals of the year, firing a backhand shot at the expense of Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger. After the game, head coach John Tortorella admitted that he had “never seen a goal like that.”
Tippett was selected 10th overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2017 draft. He had 33 points in 88 games with the team before being included in the deal that sent Claude Giroux to the Big Cats in March 2022.