Bruins G Jaroslav Halak Didn’t Have To Think About Return

The Boston Bruins made a surprise announcement on Friday when they signed Jaroslav Halak to a one-year contract extension. The deal will pay Halak a base salary of $2,250,000 for the 2020-21 season. With the bonus structure of the deal, Halak can earn up to $3,500,000 next season.

It may seem on the face to be a contract that is below market value. For Halak, however, there were more factors than money. He discussed those on Saturday when he spoke with the media via Zoom.

“It wasn’t tough to take a one-year deal. The whole organization, my teammates, the fans are great,” Halak said when asked why he re-signed with the club. “Playing for the Bruins, an Original Six team, it’s always special. I had a lot of fun, and having a great relation with Tuukks (Tuukka Rask), everybody in the locker room, it’s kind of like a family.”

Comfort and happiness is key for the veteran goalie, who will turn 35 in a few short weeks. Those aren’t the only factors, however. Halak has yet to win a Stanley Cup during his lengthy career. It’s something he still wants to accomplish.

“It’s a special group,” he continued. “We have unfinished business.” That unfinished business, of course, is the Stanley Cup. The Bruins came within a game of winning it last spring, and held the top spot in the NHL when the league went into ‘the pause’ nearly two months ago.

All that recent winning left an impression on Halak, a goalie who dealt with underwhelming and at times poor teams before signing with the Bruins. He’s had enough of the losing and frustration.

“I hate losing. I’ve hated it since I was a kid,” Jaroslav Halak admitted. “And with this team, we have a chance to win every night.”