Alexander Wennberg‘s San Jose Sharks teammates are excited about his extension.
On Sunday, the 31-year-old center inked a three-year, $18 million contract.
“It’s just so exciting. We’ve been talking for a bit now. I’ve been hounding him when he’s going to sign,” Macklin Celebrini said on Monday. “I’m just excited that he’s staying for three more years.”
“Everybody’s happy for him. Everybody’s excited when guys get paid,” Tyler Toffoli smiled.
But beyond the general excitement about keeping a guy who is loved in the locker room, Eklund said it’s also great to see a guy truly earn an extension.
“It’s always fun when a guy like that earns an extension like he did. And I really think he did. So I’m just happy for him,” Eklund said. “He wanted to stay and he did a hell of a job to make them want him to stay.”
And Wennberg has earned it, with his play and his leadership.
Tyler Toffoli said Wennberg’s value goes beyond his 26 points as the second-line center this season.
“He does a ton that people don’t notice, and might not necessarily show up on the scoreboard, but we know in here how much he means to our team,” Toffoli said. “He plays at least 20 minutes a night against top lines, penalty kills, power play, everything that you can ask for from a player and from a centerman, and he’s been doing a great job of it.”
“On the ice, he’s a two-way guy who cares a lot about defense and offense and gives a lot of stability throughout the lineup,” Eklund said. “That’s something that he’s really respected for in every team he’s been on. He does some great stuff out there and it’s huge.”
Wennberg, quietly, has established himself as one of the better defensive centers in the NHL.
And while he’s not necessarily the loudest guy in the room, Wennberg’s leadership has also had an effect on the younger members of the Sharks.
Fellow Swede Eklund is especially close with Wennberg.
“Even off the ice, he’s a great guy,” Eklund said. “For me personally outside of hockey, being with his family and being close to him, it’s a big thing too.”
Celebrini too, has benefitted from Wennberg’s welcoming nature.
“He’s just such a good person, always inviting us over if we ever need a place to stay, or if we want dinner,” Celebrini said. “He’s always offering, always very open to being there for us and whatever we need. I know that goes for all the young guys. He’s just such a great teammate.”
The 19-year-old called Wennberg a role model for the younger guys on the team.
Signed to a two-year contract in the summer of 2024, Wennberg has been a big part of the San Jose Sharks’ surprise rise from worst team in the league to wild card contender. They’re now 20-18-3, their 20 wins matching last season’s entire win total.
Rewarding Wennberg is a change-up for the Sharks, who last year traded away productive center Mikael Granlund ahead of the Trade Deadline and have traded away other key veterans in past rebuilding seasons.
Celebrini recognized that last year’s poor results dictated the selling of Granlund and others.
“But this year, there’s so much more excitement, the way our group’s winning and playing,” Celebrini said. “Even with all those things we need to work on, there’s still a lot of positives in our group this year. That’s why we have a guy like Wenny coming back.”
So now, Wennberg’s contract sends a message that the Sharks are ready to win.
“Hopefully, that is the message. It’s tough to let a guy like that go, what he means to our team – the player he is, but also the person,” Celebrini said.
Toffoli added that the effort to keep the team together and keep Wennberg feels like a step forward in the San Jose Sharks’ rebuild.
And from Sharks Territory’s perspective, keeping Wennberg with the San Jose Sharks means keeping his support for the city of San Jose. He and his wife Felicia are supportive of a variety of causes, highlighted by their donations earlier in the season to Feeding America and Second Harvest Food Bank.
So it’s not just Wennberg’s San Jose Sharks teammates who should be happy about Wennberg’s extension…it’s also the city of San Jose!