Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin released a statement Monday after the Carolina Hurricanes officially matched the offer sheet Bergevin extended to Sebastian Aho last week.

"In tendering an offer sheet to Sebastian Aho on July 1, our objective was to add a talented young forward entering the prime of his career. With Carolina matching our offer, we wish Sebastian and the Hurricanes all the best," Bergevin said.

The Canadiens signed Aho to a five-year, $42.25 million offer sheet on July 1 which featured a signing bonus-heavy pay structure. The Hurricanes announced their intention to match the contract one day later and made the move official on Sunday.

Aho, 21, took to Twitter Sunday afternoon to release the following statement.

"I am grateful for the offer from the Montreal Canadiens, but it was always my hope to return to the Hurricanes," said Aho. "As a restricted free agent, I had limited options for moving along the process to get a deal done. It was always important to me to be on the ice for the first day of training camp. This entire situation has been difficult for me and my family, and I am happy it is at an end.

"We have a young and exciting group in Carolina and I can't wait to be there with my teammates and get to work. I love it in Raleigh and I am thrilled that we can continue what we started last season."

With the offer sheet now officially matched, the Canadiens' first-, second-, and third-round draft picks in the 2020 NHL Draft have been freed from limbo and the team can now extend an offer sheet to another restricted free agent if they choose to.

According to CapFriendly, the Canadiens have $7.46 million in cap space with restricted free agents Artturi Lehkonen, Charles Hudon and Joel Armia in need of new contracts.