THE CANADIAN PRESS
DALLAS — Mike Ribeiro didn’t have to wait for next summer to cash in on his breakout season.
The skilled forward signed a five-year contract with the Stars on Monday worth US25 million, nearly doubling his salary while keeping him in Dallas for the forseeable future.
“Mike has made a big impact on our hockey club the past two seasons and we are very happy to have him under contract,” Stars co-general manager Brett Hull said in a statement. “He makes things happen on the ice and will only continue to grow as a player.”
The 27-year-old has a career-high 21 goals and 23 assists in 40 games entering Monday night’s showdown with the Minnesota Wild. Ribeiro was set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, and his performance so far in 2007-08 would have guaranteed him a lucrative multi-year contract.
Ribeiro, who will make 2.8 million this season, has 103 points (39-64) in 121 career games with Dallas after being acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens in Sept. 2006. Ribeiro was chosen by Montreal in the second round of the 1998 draft, and recorded a career-high 65 points (20-45) in 2003-04.
Ribeiro has 89 goals and 167 assists in 397 games with Dallas and Montreal.
