Brian Burke, President and General Manager of the
Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Friday that the hockey club has agreed to terms with restricted free agent defenceman
Luke Schenn on a new five year contract.
Schenn, 21, established career highs in games played (82), assists (17), points (22) and shots (128), and added five goals and 34 penalty minutes last season with the Maple Leafs. He was one of five Leafs to play in all 82 games and led all NHL defencemen, ranking eighth overall, with 251 hits in 2010-11. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native also led the Maple Leafs in blocked shots with 168, and was the only player in the NHL to have over 250 hits and at least 150 blocked shots last season.
Schenn was selected to play for Team Canada at 2011 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia and appeared in seven games collecting one assist. He previously represented Canada at the World Championship in 2009, winning a silver medal.
The 6-foot-2, 229-pound defenceman has led Toronto in hits in three consecutive seasons, posting 206 hits in his rookie campaign (2008-09) and 173 hits in 2009-10. He has played in 231 career NHL games, all with the Maple Leafs, posting 53 points (12 goals, 41 assists) and 155 penalty minutes.
Schenn was Toronto’s first choice, fifth overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.