| |  | |
| Bondra |
WASHINGTON -- Peter Bondra asked to be traded. Then he made
himself too valuable to trade.
The Slovak right wing, playing some of the best hockey of his
career even while thinking his days in Washington were numbered,
agreed to a four-year, $18 million contract extension with the
Capitals on Thursday.
Then he celebrated by scoring a hat trick in the second period
of a 5-4 victory over Toronto Maple Leafs, his 28th, 29th and 30th
goals of the season and his franchise-best 16th career hat trick.
"I was so nervous," Bondra said. "I remember my first game
here; I was maybe a little bit more nervous. I had butterflies in
my stomach."
The contract averages $4.5 million over four years, but the
Capitals have options on the third and fourth years, according to a
league source, speaking on condition of anonymity. Bondra, who
would have become a free agent July 1, is making $3.75 million this
season.
"My kids are here. Maybe I'll be retiring here," Bondra said.
"I've never been anywhere else. I started something here, the last
11 years, and now I want to finish here. I can't imagine myself
anywhere else."
The signing represents a remarkable turnaround of the
relationship between Bondra and the Capitals. Bondra, bothered by
injuries, struggled in coach Ron Wilson's defense-oriented system
last season and had just 21 goals and 38 points, his lowest output
since his rookie season in 1990-91.
Realizing he was about to enter the final season of his contract
-- and sensing the Capitals would be trying to trade him anyway --
Bondra asked the team to deal him last summer so he wouldn't have
to move in midseason. General manager George McPhee tried to
accommodate the 32-year-old right wing, but couldn't find any
takers.
"My heart really wasn't in it, but I promised Peter I'd try,"
McPhee said. "Then he was playing better in November, and I
thought maybe this would turn around because Peter seemed to be
happier."
When the season began, Bondra told his teammates he wouldn't let
the contract uncertainty affect his play. It didn't. He has 29
goals and 25 assists in 53 games and has been the only consistent
scorer for the Capitals, who lead the Southeast Division.
In December, Bondra told his agent to start talking to the
Capitals again.
"I created a situation, but I learned from that and it was the
right push for me to get the support of the coach back," Bondra
said. "I worked hard and I came through."
Bondra has scored the winning goal in five of the last 11
victories for the Capitals. His seven game-winning goals rank
second in the NHL.
"He's really handled the situation really good," goaltender
Olaf Kolzig said. "The whole thing that happened at the beginning
of the season, a lot of us were probably down on him for what was
going on. He has handled himself as a professional. I think tonight
was an explanation point showing the team that they did the right
thing by signing him."
Bondra has spent his entire NHL career with Washington, scoring
52 goals in both the 1995-96 and 1997-98 seasons. He holds
franchise records for shorthanded goals (27), game-winning goals
(56) and hat tricks (16).
Bondra is a five-time All-Star, but he was originally not
invited to this year's game, to be played Sunday in Denver.
However, during Thursday's game, the league asked if he would be a
replacement for Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr.
Bondra declined, because he already has a trip to Disney World
planned with his family.
"My kids talked about it all week," Bondra said. "I couldn't
send them there and not go with them."
|
|
ALSO SEE
Bondra cashes in, nets trick in Caps' win vs. Leafs
|
