EDMONTON

It was, to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, almost half a lifetime ago.

“My second year of Pee Wee,” he said.

That was the year he didn’t play hockey because his parents couldn’t afford the costs involved.

Thursday The Nuge signed a seven-year extension to his entry-level contract, which will pay him $42 million.

“Obviously things have changed a lot.”

When you were a kid who couldn’t afford to play Pee Wee, now a 20-year-old who could still play as an over-aged junior, “it’s extremely surreal for my family,” said the Burnaby, B.C., product.

“As a kid it was pretty tough,” he said of missing his second year of Pee Wee.

“I still skated a bit, but it was tough not playing organized hockey. But I think it worked out for the best.”

He was asked if he’d thought of anything he wants to spend some of his big bucks on.

“Nothing has really jumped out at me yet.”

He says he can’t see Hall, Eberle or himself letting their careers get derailed because they’re suddenly very rich.

“I don’t think any of us are really worried about it too much. Once you get out on the ice you kind of forget about that stuff.”

Actually, The Nuge has known this day was coming for a whole year. Along with just about everybody else in Edmonton.

‘Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Signs For $42 Million’ is not news. Not any part of it.

The day roommates Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle conspired to sign contracts for exactly the same money with long-term commitment, it was completely obvious. Nugent-Hopkins was going to get the same identical $42-million over seven season extension as the the player who went No. 1 in the draft the year before he did.

Eberle. Hall. Nugent-Hopkins. Each making exactly $6 million a year. Perfect.

It’s a continuation of the same mission statement. Part of the same template and the same map to the future. It’s now three core players of a potential future glory gang locking themselves in longterm, a chance to stay together as long, or longer, than Wayne Gretzky (nine years), Mark Messier (12), Jari Kurri (10), Grant Fuhr (10), Paul Coffey (7), Glenn Anderson (11) and Kevin Lowe (14).

Eberle is an Oiler through 2018-19.

Hall is an Oiler until 2019-20.

Nugent-Hopkins is now an Oiler through 2020-21.

“We want to make this experience so rewarding they don’t ever want to leave. I think there are a lot of good times ahead for these guys. I have a lot of confidence in the character of this group,” said GM Craig MacTavish.

“We felt when we did the contracts with Hall and Eberle that we knew we’d be doing a very similar, if not identical, contract with Ryan that we did with those players.

“This is just a reflection of how highly we hold Ryan in our organization,” he said of the former Red Deer Rebels centre, who is still slotted to return about Nov. 1.

“We’re investing in skill, and almost equally important, we’re investing in character.”

MacTavish said there was no thought of waiting to see how RNH played after his return.

“People ask me ‘Why not wait and do something during the season?’

“The simple answer is that I’ve seen enough.

“I can’t find anybody in our organization who questions this deal.”

And he said there was no concern about the shoulder injury.

“No, zero,” he said.

“We’ve had lots of success with that procedure in the past. His surgery is solid and there’s a good history to lead us to believe and have every confidence there won’t be a problem going forward.

“During the term of this contract I feel very strongly he’s going to outperform the number on the contract. I don’t know when that is going to happen but I anticipate it will happen pretty soon during the length of the contract,” said the GM, who is clearly betting the salary cap is going to go up to accommodate the guys who will be next in line.

“It always has,” he said.

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terry.jones@sunmedia.ca