Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers Sign Forward to New Contract
It was a pretty good 27th birthday for Jonah Gadjovich on Sunday — especially after he signed a new two-year contract with the Florida Panthers.
Gadjovich is in his third season with the Panthers and was rewarded with a new deal that will keep him with the team through 2028.
He is in the final year of the first two-year contract he signed with the team during his first season here in 2023-24.
Per PuckPedia, Gadjovich is getting a raise from his $775,000 annual salary and will now get $905,000 per.
“Jonah has become an integral part of our locker room and a strong contributor for our group on the ice,” GM Bill Zito said in a statement. “He possesses a fearless attitude and unrelenting competitiveness, and we are excited for Jonah to continue with us in South Florida.”
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Gadjovich came to the Panthers in 2023 after being injured while with the San Jose Sharks.
Florida signed him to an AHL deal so he could heal from his injuries, then was given an NHL contract — and that first two-year extension soon afterward.
As Zito wrote in the statement, Gadjovich has become a counted on member of the team.
During the 2023-24 season, Gadjovich played in 39 games but did not appear in the postseason.
“Obviously, I was around last year just watching what the guys were doing and trying to learn from them even though I wasn’t in the lineup,’’ Gadjovich said during this past Stanley Cup Final.
“I tried to, I guess, carry my experience over this year. My goal and focus was to just stay ready. I knew that if I was called on to get in the lineup that I would be ready. I’ve just been having fun with it. There’s honestly a lot of stresses and anxieties that come along with playing in the NHL, but I’m just trying to have fun and check those aside and just enjoy what I’m doing.”
Last season, Gadjovich played in 42 games on the fourth line, and joined Tomas Nosek and A.J. Greer on a line Paul Maurice reunited in the second round against Toronto.
Maurice credited their play with Florida’s turnaround in that series, one the Panthers trailed 2-0 before they went back in.
As the final minutes of Game 6 counted down in the Stanley Cup Final, Maurice made sure that line went out for the final shift so they would be out there when the horn sounded on a second Florida championship.
“You get the last shift,’’ Maurice said on the bench. “You got us here.’’
Said Gadjovich: “That was a moment I will never forget. I can picture myself on the bench right now with him telling us and that feeling I got was so special. It meant the world to me. Just incredible.’’
ON DECK: GAME 4
FLORIDA PANTHERS at PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
- When: Monday, 7 p.m.
- Where: Xfinity Center, Philadelphia
- Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WPTV 5/WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
- Streaming: Panthers+; ESPN+
- Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WBZT 1230-AM (West Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); WCZR 101.7-FM (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM
- Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL/Panthers App
- Last Season: Florida won 2-1
- This Season (Panthers Lead 1-0) — At Florida: Panthers 2, Flyers 1 (Oct. 9); Nov. 26; At Philadelphia: Oct 13.
- All-time Regular Season Series: Philadelphia leads 60-40-7, 7 ties
- Up Next for the Panthers: Wednesday at Detroit Red Wings, 7 (Local TV)
