By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes used some of their extra time off between rounds of the NHL playoffs to get a deal done with forward Mark Jankowski.
The Hurricanes announced Monday they had signed the forward to a two-year extension with an average annual value of $1.85 million through the 2027-28 season. Jankowski is making $800,000 this year and was due to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
“Ever since I’ve been here, I felt like it was a seamless fit and I wanted to stay here,” Jankowski said Monday in a Zoom call with reporters.
Jankowski’s deal came two days after the Hurricanes became the first team to sweep through the first two rounds since the league went to best-of-seven series in all four rounds in 1987. The Hurricanes are awaiting the winner of the Montreal-Buffalo series in the Eastern Conference final, the team’s third appearance in four seasons.
The 31-year-old Jankowski has been a reliable presence in centering Carolina’s fourth line. He’s also been part of a strong penalty kill, ranking 10th among the team’s forwards in total ice time for the postseason but jumping to fifth when the Hurricanes are short-handed while logging 17.6% of his minutes in those scenarios.
The Hurricanes acquired the 6-foot-4, 200-pound forward in a March 2025 trade with Nashville.
“Mark has been an excellent fit for our organization throughout his time here,” general manager Eric Tulsky said in a statement. “He’s proven he can contribute in different ways, and we are glad he’s chosen to remain with the organization.”
Jankowski had 11 goals and 10 assists in 68 regular-season games, and has one assist through the eight playoff games. He’s also had two goals waved off on video review in this postseason, first an apparent overtime winner in Game 2 of the first-round series against Ottawa on an offside review tied to captain Jordan Staal and then one in Saturday’s Game 4 clincher against Philadelphia for a goaltender interference call on teammate William Carrier.
“Both those games that I scored in, we ended up winning, so that took away a lot of the hurt for sure,” he said.
“Those goals, they’ll come if you keep playing the right way. We are, so you don’t want to take your foot off the gas. The fact that you’re getting those chances and getting those looks are good things, so just keep doing the same thing and hopefully the next one counts.”