Red Wings, Chiarot Agree to Three-Year Extension

The Detroit Red Wings have locked up a key veteran, signing Ben Chiarot to a three-year, $11.55 million contract extension. The contract will have an average annual value of $3,850,000. This represents a pay cut from his current $4.75 million cap hit, a team-friendly move that provides GM Steve Yzerman with additional flexibility.

This season, Chiarot has tallied four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 53 games and a +1 rating, his best statistical output since his time with the Montreal Canadiens. More importantly, Chiarot has become the primary mentor for Detroit’s "youth movement" on the blue line, frequently skating alongside rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka and sophomore Simon Edvinsson.

Originally selected 120th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009, Chiarot spent five seasons grinding through the AHL and ECHL before establishing himself as a full-time NHLer with the Winnipeg Jets. Chiarot played nearly 300 games for the franchise, including a key role in their 2018 run to the Western Conference Finals. During the 2021 Stanley Cup Final run with Montreal, Chiarot emerged as the team's ultimate workhorse, leading the Canadiens in average ice time (25:15 per game). Throughout his career, Chiarot has appeared in 776 games, scoring 49 goals and 132 assists.

Detroit currently sits just one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division with a 32-16-5 record and 69 points. The Red Wings have established a comfortable six-point cushion over the Buffalo Sabres for a guaranteed top-three seed in the Atlantic.