Tuuka Rask Signs Eight-Year Contract With Boston Bruins

After years of waiting, Tuukka Rask was officially handed the title of franchise goalie by the Boston Bruins after signing an eight-year contract on Wednesday.

The max-contract pays the netminder $7 million per year and makes him one of the highest paid goalies in the NHL.

"Well, you know what, I actually thought of that today," Rask said Thursday. "I was reading the Finnish newspapers and they said I was making a lot of money compared to the other goalies or other players. But you know, I don't really look at it that way. Maybe it's just a challenge. You try to play as hard as you can and then you have to make a deal and you try to make it work for both as a player and as an organization. For me, it doesn't really matter if I'm making $4 million or $7 million or $10 million, you're just still trying to be worth your money and trying to prove yourself every night. So I don't really look at that if I'm making more or less than the guy sitting next to me. It doesn't really affect my mindset, but obviously people are going to expect great things from me, and as I do from myself too, so it doesn't really change my mindset or my game at all."

Rask is coming off a terrific postseason in which he led the Bruins to within two games of winning the Stanley Cup. In the process he put up a 1.88 goals against average and a .940 save percentage during the postseason. His greatest moment came in the Eastern Conference finals when he conceded just two goals in a four-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"I was impressed, obviously. Tuukka's always been -- you heard him say about being patient learning his craft with high expectations -- he's been very consistent in his approach to his career, and that's impressed me a lot," Boston general manager Peter Chiarelli said. "He's been very confident in what he sets out to do and he's accomplished it. So to see it unfold before me, and I think I was asked a question during the Stanley Cup run, 'Is it going to be really hard to sign Tuukka now?' And I said, 'In fact, it's going to be easier.' And I know that sounds weird, but to see what he did when he said he was going to do it was impressive. And he's done that all the way along. So he deserves this contract; he's a high-character kid and he's only going to get better."