New York Islanders Leading Scorer John Tavares Signs a Six-Year Extension

John Tavares, the New York Islanders’ leading scorer each of his first two National Hockey League seasons, signed a six-year contract extension.

Tavares, who turns 21 on Sept. 20, was selected by the Islanders with the first pick in the 2009 NHL draft. He has 53 goals and 68 assists in 161 NHL games.

“He is a key component to the core of players we’ve decided to build this team around and we couldn’t be happier to ensure that he will be a New York Islander for years to come,” General Manager Garth Snow said in a statement.

Tavares had 29 goals and 38 assists last season as the Islanders went 30-39-13, the fourth-worst record in the NHL. The Islanders have missed the playoffs for four straight years and haven’t won a postseason series since the 1992-93 season.

The Islanders didn’t disclose financial terms of Tavares’s contract in a statement.

To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net