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Staying in San Jose: Sharks extend Thornton, Marleau

Patrick Marleau Joe Thornton

San Jose Sharks left wing Patrick Marleau (12) celebrates his goal with enter Joe Thornton (19) during the scone period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday, Jan. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

AP

Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau have signed three-year contract extensions with the San Jose Sharks, as first reported by ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun.

Thornton’s extension is worth $20.25 million (cap hit $6.75 million); Marleau’s is for slightly less, at $20 million ($6.66 million).

“Patrick and Joe continue to perform at an elite level in the National Hockey League and, most importantly, they make the other players around them better,” said Sharks general manager Doug Wilson in a release. “They both made it very clear that they wanted to stay in San Jose and we were able to agree on contracts that fit with our team building philosophy.”

Both veteran forwards were pending unrestricted free agents, and both are enjoying outstanding seasons. Thornton, 34, has a team-high 53 points (6G, 47A) in 51 games; Marleau, 34, has 21 goals and 26 assists, also in 51 games.

Both also took slight pay cuts to stay with the Sharks, who now have six players signed through at least 2016-17, the four others being Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

There still remains one key pending UFA in defenseman Dan Boyle. The 37-year-old has repeatedly said he wants to finish his career in San Jose.