"This place is amazing. It's so much fun to be a part of this. The organization is a great fit for me, the way we play, the way I play. The city is amazing. I never really even considered playing anywhere else. This is where I want to be. This is where my family wants to be.
My agent and (Lightning general manager) Julien (BriseBois) were in preliminary talks over the summer about signing a long-term deal with the team. I think they wanted to keep me this summer, and obviously it didn't quite work out this summer but as soon as the season started I think Julien wanted to get a deal completed. They called my agent and tried to set it up as quick as possible. I think stability-wise, it's a great move for me and my family to sign a long-term deal here and not have to worry about what's going to happen after this season. My wife Marie [Marie-Andree Gourde] and I have traveled a lot throughout my career. It's going to be so much easier to be here for the next six years. We know everything about the area. Marie loves the area, is familiar with the area, feels comfortable here. It's just great we have that stability and will be around the same team. We had a lot of talks about what was going to happen after this season was over, but it was still pretty early in the process to be honest. Our priority was to sign here, and it just makes so much sense. This organization is just a great fit for me hockey-wise, and it's a great fit for my family off the ice. It was an offer I couldn't refuse.
I just signed an incredible contract that will allow me to play with an organization I love and set up my family for life, but, for me, it doesn't stop there. I have to keep working and keep proving people wrong. Some people are going to say the Lightning paid me too much money or signed me for too long. I'm just going to go out there and prove people wrong and keep working my ass off and playing the same way. I'm the same person. I'm always going to be Yanni Gourde, and I'm always going to try to be relentless on the puck and be that type of hockey player."
In their own Words: Yanni Gourde on his new contract