Vancouver, B.C. - Vancouver Canucks General Manager Jim Benning announced today that the club has signed centre Bo Horvat to a six-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $5,500,000.

"Bo has quickly become a foundational player on our team and we're thrilled for him to be a part of what we're building here long term," said Benning. "His commitment and work ethic have helped his game improve each season. He's already a leader on our team and a young player fans can be excited to watch for years to come."

"It's a great feeling to be able to continue my career for six more seasons in Vancouver and I'm grateful to the Aquilini family and Canucks management group for making this possible," said Horvat. "Since being drafted by the Canucks, I have been welcomed by fans with open arms and I'm incredibly proud and fortunate to call this city and province home. I couldn't be more excited to help this team win."

Horvat, 22, registered career-highs in goals (20), assists (32) and points (52) in his third season with the Canucks in 2016.17. The third youngest player to lead the team in scoring and the eighth skater to reach 20 goals before the age of 22, Horvat appeared in his first career NHL All-Star Game this past year, collecting three points (1-2-3) in the Pacific division's first contest against the Central and one goal in the final versus the Metropolitan. Horvat also ranked 12th in the League in faceoff win percentage (50.5%) among players that took over 1,480 faceoffs and 19th in total faceoff wins (756).