Tomas Hertl will remain in a Sharks jersey for a long time.
The 28-year-old center signed an eight-year contract extension with the Sharks on Wednesday, keeping him in San Jose for the foreseeable future.
“It’s a very special day in Sharks history today with the signing of Tomas, we couldn’t be more pleased," Sharks assistant general manager Joe Will said on a conference call with reporters Wednesday. "It’s a culmination of a process where a lot of people were involved and we got to a tremendous position here where we’re able to move forward with this contract.”
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As the Sharks negotiated with Hertl's agents for months during the season, plenty of speculation swirled regarding his future with the team and if San Jose would trade him before the NHL's upcoming March 21 trade deadline.
“We’ve always been committed to signing him to this contract," Will said. "We didn’t even really look at the market as far as this, it wasn’t a give-or-take, we were fully committed to signing him here because we recognize the importance of a top-line center and for a long period of time we have two of them in Tomas and Logan [Couture] and that’s our building block right there down the middle. That was our commitment first and foremost.”
Ultimately, the Sharks have been and will continue to be Hertl's home. Drafted by San Jose as a teenager in 2012, the organization and the city have been all he's known throughout his adult life. He and his wife Aneta have put down roots here and it was clear that they didn't want to leave.
“I’ve been here nine years," Hertl told reporters. "Me and my wife, we’ve never lived anywhere but here. We started dating here before I even got to the league, we started living together here in the Bay Area and over the years we made a lot of friends, outside of hockey friends."
When asked about the timeline in which negotiations picked up, Hertl said that the two sides started to make progress after the Sharks' bye week earlier this winter.
Even as trade chatter persisted throughout the winter -- intensifying in recent weeks -- Hertl and the Sharks shared a mutual loyalty that ultimately proved to be the motivating factor on both sides.
"Everybody was always nice, the fans always supported me from Day 1 all the way to here," Hertl added. "The Sharks organization, from Day 1 they were always nice to me. And my teammates, I've made some great friends … and they’ve helped me get to the player I am now and I thank them too. From Day 1 I wouldn’t say a bad word about the organization, how they gave me a chance right away from the first season and I’m really excited to keep it going here.”
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The Sharks' 2021-22 season has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride thus far. Throughout numerous big injuries and COVID-19 outbreaks, San Jose has continued to stay afloat in the playoff race.
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With a possible distraction in the rearview mirror, Hertl and the Sharks' veteran leaders can continue to focus on their late-season playoff push.
"I’ve got nine years behind me and I know I’m part of the leadership group of this team," Hertl said. "And I want to change that … we want to help young guys get better and we want to carry the team. I know it’s a different situation than in years back, but I’m ready for that.”