TSN.ca Staff (with files from CP)

9/11/2006 10:23:07 PM

The Philadelphia Flyers have agreed to a five-year deal with forward Simon Gagne worth $5.25 million a season.

Gagne was excited about signing, "it's a pretty good day for myself and my family for sure," he said.  "(Philadelphia) is the city I love. I have my house there. I love the place and the fans."

The signing ends a long summer of negotiations between Gagne, a restricted free agent, and Flyers general manager Bob Clarke. Clarke met with Gagne's agent, Bob Sauve, on Monday.

"I think it was critical to our organization to get Simon signed and to get him signed for a number of years," Clarke said. "He's one of the better two-way players in the game."

Gagne had said he would not be at the start of Flyers training camp on September 15th unless he had a contract in place.

"I think if a player has to miss training camp it is disruptive for the player and it is disruptive for the team," explained Clarke. "I think it was critical to our organization to get Simon signed and to get him signed for a number of years."

"Simon is a very complete player," Flyers coach Ken Hitch**** told the Canadian Press in a telephone interview. "He plays the most minutes on the team, he goes against the other team's best player, he can handle multiple positions. He does all of the other things needed to win."

Hitch**** could not help but consider the possibilities for having his top line in place all season, "I think the potential is there if he and Peter and (Mike) Knuble and the line stay healthy," he said. "If the line stays healthy, it has a chance to do some serious damage."

Gagne, who was reportedly asking for $5 million to $6 million a year, is coming off a career-high 47 goals and 79 points last season. The 26-year-old was taken 22nd overall by the Flyers in the 1998 Entry Draft and has 160 goals and 324 points in 426 career NHL games. Gagne was also part of Canada's 2002 gold medal wining hockey team at the