Hurricanes rookie earns big pay raise, contract extension after one NHL season
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- Jackson Blake signed an eight-year, $45 million extension with the Hurricanes.
- Blake scored 17 goals and 17 assists in his rookie season and excelled in playoffs.
- Carolina values Blake’s competitiveness, citing strong fit with team culture.
A year ago, forward Jackson Blake came to the Carolina Hurricanes preseason training camp ready to fight for a roster spot as a rookie.
Blake won the spot, won a place in the lineup, won the trust of coach Rod Brind’Amour and put together a solid first NHL season. That also has won him an eight-year, $45 million contract extension.
The extension, announced late Thursday night by the Canes, begins with the 2026-27 season and will pay Blake an average of $5.625 million a season.
“Jackson had an outstanding rookie season, and we think he is just scratching the surface of the player he can be,” Canes general manager Eric Tulsky said in a statement. “His tenaciousness on the puck and competitiveness match our team’s culture and we’re excited about his future with our club.”
Blake, 21, made the challenging move from collegiate hockey to the NHL last season. He had 17 goals and 17 assists, tying for the team lead in game-winning goals (6) and finishing second in plus/minus rating (plus-10).
In 15 Stanley Cup playoff games, Blake had three goals and three assists as the Canes reached the Eastern Conference final.
“It’s definitely a faster game than I’m used to and I’ve been adjusting to that,” Blake said during the season. “I think I can provide offense for this team, a spark.”
Blake was a fourth-round draft pick by Carolina in the 2021 NHL draft and spent the 2024-25 season at North Dakota as a sophomore. The son of former NHL forward Jason Blake, Jackson made his NHL debut on April 16, 2024, against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the final game of the regular season.
At 5-11 and 178 pounds, Blake did not let a lack of size keep him away from the front of the net. His shiftiness and fearlessness impressed his teammates and coaches, and Brind’Amour played him up and down the lineup and on the power play.
“He can find the net in a bunch of different ways,” forward Seth Jarvis said.
This story was originally published July 25, 2025 at 8:08 AM with the headline "Hurricanes rookie earns big pay raise, contract extension after one NHL season."
