OTTAWA – Ottawa Senators (@Senators) general manager Bryan Murray announced this evening that the club has agreed to terms with forward Chris Neil on a one-year contract extension. The contract will carry an annual value of $1,500,000 and will have a duration through the 2016-17 NHL season.

“We’re happy to have reached an agreement with Chris on a contract extension,” said Murray. “Chris has long been someone who exemplifies strong work ethic and character while striving to be a leader and a good example for our young players. On the ice, he's played quality minutes for us this season and continues to play an important role on our team. I’m additionally glad to see him return in light of what could be a significant milestone for him next season and something that would only be fitting to see him achieve in a Senators uniform.”

Neil, 36, is in the midst of his 14th National Hockey League season and is one of only three players (Karlsson, Pageau) to have appeared in each of Ottawa’s 62 games to date in 2015-16. Ahead of tonight’s game in Calgary, he has registered 10 points (three goals, seven assists) and a team-leading 122 penalty minutes over the span of the current campaign.

A native of Flesherton, Ont., Neil is the Senators franchise leader in penalty minutes in both the regular season (2,416) and in the post-season (192). His 243 points (109 goals, 134 assists) see him rank 12th on the club’s all-time points list, while he recently became the only the third player (Alfredsson, Phillips) to play in a 950th game for the club when he reached the mark on Feb. 13 in Columbus.

Neil was Ottawa’s sixth-round pick, 161st overall, in the 1998 NHL Draft.

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