Kings sign Gaborik to seven-year contract

[June 26, 2014]  (Reuters) - Marian Gaborik, who played a key role in the Los Angeles Kings' Stanley Cup triumph earlier this month, agreed to terms on a new seven-year contract, the National Hockey League team said on Wednesday.

Financial terms of the contract for the unrestricted free agent forward were not disclosed by the Kings but local media reports said the deal is worth $34.1 million.

The 32-year-old Slovakian forward scored a league-leading 14 goals during the 2014 playoffs, leaving him one shy of the franchise's playoff year record set in 1993 by Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky.

Gaborik, traded to Los Angeles from Columbus in April, missed 39 games last season due to injuries and finished the regular season with 11 goals and 19 assists.

He picked up his game in the postseason, collecting three goals and five points in the first round when the Kings rallied from a 3-0 series deficit to beat San Jose in seven games.

Gaborik led all players with six goals and 10 points in a seven-game, second-round series victory over Anaheim, including the tying and winning goals in Game One.

He added another three goals and four points in a seven-game series win over Chicago in the Western Conference Finals, with his goal late in the third period of Game 7 forcing overtime.

In the Stanley Cup Final, Gaborik twice scored game-tying, third-period goals versus the New York Rangers with both goals leading to overtime victories for the Kings.

A first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Wild in 2000, Gaborik has represented Slovakia at the 2006 and 2010 Olympics and is a three-time NHL All-Star.

The 2009-10 NHL campaign was Gaborik's best as he recorded a career-high 42 goals and 86 points in 76 games for the Rangers.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Larry Fine)

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