Jake Evans with his wife Emily. (Credits: IG/@jakeevans18)
Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans took to Instagram to celebrate signing a contract extension with the franchise. On Tuesday, despite speculation about various possible destinations across the league, Evans signed a new four-year, $11.4-million deal with the Habs that took him off the market.
Evans, who was picked by the Canadiens in the seventh round of the 2014 NHL Draft, has spent his entire NHL career with the Habs. On Wednesday, he posted a heartfelt message on Instagram which showed how grateful he was to stay in Montreal.
“Always knew 🔵⚪️🔴,” Evans’ post caption read.
The post featured a two-picture carousel; the first photo featured Evans as a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 wearing a Habs jersey. The second picture was of him and his wife, Emily, sitting rinkside. Both of them are wearing Canadiens jerseys.
Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes announced the four-year, $2.85 million AAV contract extension on Tuesday.
Sportsnet reporter Eric Engels wrote about the deal on Tuesday.
“The Evans deal worked out to be $3 million less (total) than I projected it would be back on Jan. 14. It’s good work from Kent Hughes, no doubt, but really speaks to how much it means to Evans wanted to remain a Montreal Canadien,” Engels posted on X (formerly Twitter).
In 61 games this season, Evans has scored 12 goals and has 16 assists for 28 points. He is also tied for third among NHL players who have scored the most goals while 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing penalties.
“He plays a big role, especially on the penalty 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁,” Habs coach Martin St. Louis said via Sportsnet. “I find his offensive game has improved a lot since I’ve been here, and he’s a guy who’s appreciated in the room.”
Jake Evans had said it was “an honor” to play for the Montreal Canadiens
In February, Jake Evans expressed to the media how much he had enjoyed playing for the Montreal Canadiens since they picked him in the draft.
“It’s been an honor,” Evans said. “It’s such a fun place to play, it’s such a great place to live, and I’ve just really enjoyed it. It’s truly an honor. There’s so much tradition here, so many great players that have worn this great jersey with pride, and it’s truly an honor.”
At the time, his remarks were seen as a thinly veiled farewell message, given his contract status and the fact that negotiations had been dragging on at the time.
