PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced Thursday a four-year contract extension for defenseman Alexei Emelin (2014-15 to 2017-18).“We are very happy to have secured a long term agreement with Alexei. He is an important part of our group of core players. He shows a very good work ethic and has a good attitude. He can play big minutes against the opponents’ best players, and hard-hitting defensemen of his type are hard to find. We are very confident that he will fully recover from his knee injury and be able to compete at a high level for many years to come” said Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin.“I am very pleased to be a member of the Montreal Canadiens organization for the coming years. I love Montreal and I am confident that I will soon return to the ice fully recovered from my injury and contribute to the success of our team,” said Alexei Emelin.In 38 games with the Canadiens in 2012-13, Emelin recorded 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists) and led the team with 110 hits. The 6’02’’ and 224 lbs defenseman added 33 penalty minutes, 47 blocked shots and a +2 differential, while averaging 19:40 of ice time per game. Emelin suffered a season-ending knee injury on April 6, 2013 against Boston and has yet to play a game in 2013-14. Emelin has tallied 19 points (6 goals, 13 helpers) in 105 career regular-season games since his NHL debut in 2011-12.A native of Togliatti, Russia, Emelin was the Canadiens’ second pick (third round, 84th overall) at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.