MacKenzie Weegar has touching reason for lengthy extension

Just long Jonathan Huberdeau and Matthew Tkachuk, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar has signed a long term extension with his new club, agreeing to an eight year extension with the Calgary Flames yesterday afternoon worth $50 million US. The deal carries an AAV of $6.25 million per season.

And shortly after the deal was signed, Weegar explained just show he felt for signing the length extension, and had plenty of people to thank in the process. 

"It means everything," Weegar said. "When I signed the deal, I just kept thinking of how long of a road it's been for me since Junior B to the Coast (ECHL) and now to here. All my friends and family and all the support, I think it's not just me that signed the deal. It's everybody around me.

"My mom, her brother Matt, my uncle, my agent, have always kind of believed in me. My friends. Everybody has just been so supportive of me. When times were tough everybody brought me up. 

"I really have no words. It's going to sink in a little later, I think. It'll be emotional later. I'll call my mom and my dad. This is just crazy. I couldn't be more thankful."

The new Flames blue liner is coming off a career year last season with the President's Trophy-winning Panthers, having recorded eight goals with 36 assists. And he's got his eyes set on bigger and better things with the Flames. 

"I think I just want to stay the same type of player that I am," he said. "Now that I've signed this contract, I don't think I really need to try to save the world or anything like that. I just kind of want to stick to the same type of player that I am and just try to get better at maybe conditioning, outside the rink or keeping my body in shape. It's a long contract. Those things go a long way. Just staying the same type of player that I am and contributing how I did in the past."

What's more, he's looking forward even more to the winning culture he believes in for the Flames. 

"Let's go. I'm ready. This is going to be fun," he said. "It's going to be a long road. It's obviously a lot of hard work and the hard work starts now. Another reason why I signed here is because I believe in this team. They want to win and we have a winning team, a winning coach, a winning culture in here. That was another important step to sign here." 

"The winning culture. Looch and Coleman, Naz, Darryl, lots of guys who have won here, and that's important. We need that down the stretch. They want to win now. I want to win now. I think everybody in this room wants to win here. The city wants to win. Passionate fanbase. Right from when I got here everybody was super excited to have us three come in here. Just that culture is a winning culture in here."