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MONTREAL - Andrei Markov is staying with the only NHL club he has ever known. Wholesale Buccaneers Jerseys China . The 35-year-old defenceman agreed to terms of a US$17.25-million, three-year contract extension with the Montreal Canadiens on Monday. Markov was due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He said on a conference call that signing a new deal with Montreal was his first priority. "I knew before the season was over Id like to stay with the Montreal Canadiens, so Im happy the deal was done and Im looking forward now. I feel like Im at home here. I feel comfortable. Id like to stay for the rest of my career. Ive never known (free agency), but it doesnt matter. Im happy with that deal." Markov will earn the same salary, $5.75 million per season, that he made in each of his last two contracts over the past seven years. As a player 35 or over, he is guaranteed the full amount of his new deal. "We are very happy to have secured a long term agreement with Andrei," general manager Marc Bergevin said in a statement. "He is an important part of our group of core players. "He is healthy, shows a very good work ethic and has great leadership skills. He plays big minutes against the top opponents, and game-changing defencemen of his calibre are hard to find." Markov will be 38 when the deal expires after the 2016-17 season, but feels it is too early to say if it will be his last contract. There were fears that his career was over when a succession of knee injuries limited him to only 65 games over three years from 2009-10 to 20011-12, but he played all 48 games of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign and missed only one regular season game this season. He had seven goals and 36 assists and was plus-12 this season, while getting a team-high 25:14 of ice time per game. He added a goal and nine assists in 17 playoff games as the Canadiens reached the Eastern Conference final. He also played for Russia at the Sochi Olympics. While he has slowed in a recent years, the Voskresensk, Russia native combines a solid defensive game with first-rate passing and playmaking skills from the point on power plays. "It wasnt easy when I had injuries, but I always stayed positive," Markov said. "The last two years I felt good. My health is good. I enjoy the game like I used to. Im looking forward to next season." Markov holds Russian and Canadian citizenship, having become a Canadian citizen in 2010. He was drafted in the sixth round, 162nd overall, by Montreal in 1998. He made his NHL debut in 2000. In 765 regular season games, he has 98 goals and 344 assists. His best seasons were 2007-08, when he had 16 goals and 58 points and 2008-09, when he had 12 goals and 64 points. He was the teams second potential free agent to sign ahead of July 1. Last week, forward Dale Weise inked a two-year contract that pays $1.025 million per season. Bergevin now faces negotiations with potential restricted free agents P.K. Subban and Lars Eller, while potential UFAs include captain Brian Gionta and defenceman Mike Weaver.Discount Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jerseys .Y. -- The New York Islanders were seeking a positive finish to a frustrating season on home ice. Alan Cross Jersey .com) - The New York Islanders will try to solve their issues against Central Division opponents when they visit the Minnesota Wild for Tuesdays battle at Xcel Energy Center. SALT LAKE CITY -- Gordon Haywards pinpoint shooting got the Utah Jazz off to their best start of the season and Marvin Williams made the plays at the end for their most impressive victory of the season. Williams scored five points in the final two minutes, Hayward broke out of a shooting slump to score 29 points and the Jazz earned their first back-to-back wins of the season with a 109-103 victory over the Rockets on Monday night. "What a huge win for us," Williams said. "Houston has been playing really, really well. For them to come into our building and put up a big-time fight and then for us to come out on top is a great feeling." With Utah clinging to a 101-98 lead, Williams stole James Hardens pass and raced down for a dunk with 2 minutes left. "Thankfully I was able to take advantage of a miscommunication on their part. It was a huge break for us," Williams said. Williams, who has been playing with a mask since breaking his nose last month, then hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 59 seconds to go to boost the lead to 108-100. "Gordon made a very, very unselfish play," Williams said. "I thought he was going to shoot it. He was really going and had been making plays all night for us. Im glad I stayed there and stayed ready." Rookie Trey Burke posted career highs of 21 points and six assists for Utah, which shot 54 per cent and made 10 of 17 from beyond the arc. The Jazz were coming off a 112-104 win over the Suns on Saturday Harden had 15 of his season-best 37 points in the fourth quarter to keep the Rockets close, but they couldnt get enough defensive stops. "We just didnt defend. We go through mental lapses where we dont lock down on the defensive end. We gave up too many points to fight our way back," Harden said. For a change, it was the Jazz making crucial plays at the end. "Were learning from the other games and not making the same mistakes twice," Hayward said. "Dont get me wrong, we still have a lot of improvement as a basketball team and as individuals, but its good to see we didnt let this one slip away like we did early in the year." Dwight Howard had 15 points and Francisco Garcia and Omri Casspi had 13 apiece as Houston lost for only the second time in its last 10 games. The Rockets have averaged 111 points on 51 per cent shooting during the stretch. Harden weaved through a trio of Jazz players and scored a crafty layup to tie the game at 86-all with 8:07 to play. Alex Cappa Jersey. Alec Burks answered with a 3-pointer and the Jazz led the rest of the way. Burke started the season on the injured list with a broken finger but has found his rhythm in the past few games. His hot play has coincided with Utahs best stretch of the season as the Jazz have won three of four after dropping 14 of their first 15 games. "Its a matter of the players and coaches having confidence in me and just taking what the defence is giving me," Burke said. The Jazz put the ball in the rookies hands and let him make plays down the stretch. In the fourth quarter, Burke had seven points and six assists and marked a career-best in points for second straight game. Add in Haywards savvy all-court game and the Jazz finally look like a formidable team at times. "The greatest thing was (Hayward and Burke) made plays for their teammates," Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said. "They attacked and were able to get everybody involved and it threw (Houston) off a little bit." Hayward made 12 of 18 shots to regain his shooting confidence. His early hot streak sparked the Jazz to lead by as many as 14 points in the first half. Over the previous nine games, Hayward made just 36 of 123 attempts for 29 per cent. "I got going early by getting some easy buckets in transition and anytime you see the ball go through the hoop like that, it sets the tone," said Hayward, who had 17 points in the first quarter. The Jazz shot 59 per cent from 3-point range, while Houston hit 32 per cent (9 of 28) from beyond the arc. The two teams played here exactly one month ago when Chandler Parsons scored 24 points and the Rockets outscored the Jazz 64-37 in the second half to win 104-93. Parsons sat out this game with a sore back and the Rockets had only Harden and Aaron Brooks, who had 13 points, as playmakers in the fourth quarter. "We had plenty of guys to win this game today. It had nothing to do with who wasnt there," Houston coach Kevin McHale said. Since Burke recovered sufficiently to play starter minutes, the Jazz have reached 100 points in three games for the first time all season. Before this run, Utah only had one contest in which they topped the century mark. NOTES: Jeremy Lin missed his third game with a sprained and bruised right knee. ... Houston was outscored 36-23 in the first quarter. ... The Rockets had 54 points in the paint. 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