For Ducks, Hebert Is a Keeper

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

The deal puts Hebert, an original Duck 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 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 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 extended Roy’s contract last week.

“Obviously, that made Guy the premier goalie available in the summer,� General Manager Pierre Gauthier said.

“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 by the Ducks, who have an 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.

That won’t 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 the last piece of the puzzle for Gauthier, who also has right wing Teemu Selanne and center Steve Rucchin signed through the 2001-02 season.

“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 own signing.