Sens re-sign Pageau

Ottawa signs forward to three-year deal worth $9.3 million

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators avoided arbitration with restricted free agent forward JeanGabriel Pageau on Monday by agreeing to terms on a $9.3-million, three-year contract.

The 24-year-old centre will earn $2.6 million next season, $3.3 million in 2018-19 and $3.4 million in 2019-20.

Pageau had eight playoff goals last spring as the Senators reached the Eastern Conference final. He had 12 goals and 21 assists over 82 regular-season games.

“As an organization we are thrilled that we got this contract done,” Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said on a conference call. “Arbitration is definitely a path we did not want to go down with Jean-Gabriel, especially the way he’s performed over the course of the last few seasons. He showed that he was definitely deserving of this contract.

“Any player that has a history of raising his game, whether it was in junior playoffs or (AHL) playoffs or NHL playoffs, I think you have to give credit for what he’s accomplished. We’re really happy to have him on board for the next three years.”

Over 251 career regular-season games, Pageau has 101 points (45 goals, 56 assists) and 71 penalty minutes.

Pageau had four goals — including the game-winner — in Ottawa’s 6-5 double-overtime win over the New York Rangers in Game 2 of their conference semifinal. The Ottawa native, who grew up in nearby Gatineau, Que., has 16 points (12-4) in 35 career playoff games.

“We’ve always had a good relationship with Pierre, with (former GM) Bryan (Murray) before, with the team,” Pageau said. “They always knew that I wanted to stay with the team. I take pride (in playing) for the Senators. So obviously I think that helped get the deal done. I’m happy ... to be here for the next three years.”

Pageau was drafted by the Senators in the fourth round (96th overall) of the 2011 NHL draft.

TORONTO — Travis Lulay is living proof of just how important a backup quarterback is in the CFL.

The 33-year-old threw for a career-best 436 yards and three TDs Saturday night in leading B.C. past the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 41-26. Lulay set a CFL record for most passing yards coming off the bench, replacing injured starter Jonathon Jennings on the Lions’ first possession.

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a special moment for me to be able to come off the bench and help my team win,” Lulay said. “Being a (backup) you never know when or how it’s going to happen.

“Last year it didn’t happen, this year it happened on the second play of the game in a game on the road that my team needed me in. The first two plays I got hit really good, that kind of jarred my senses into the game.” The six-foottwo, 216-pound Lulay led B.C. to a Grey Cup title in 2011 and was the game MVP after being named the CFL’s outstanding player. Twice he’s thrown for over 4,000 yards and in 2011-12 had a combined 59 TD strikes.

In January 2013, Lulay signed a two-year contract extension reportedly worth $450,000 annually. But he suffered a shoulder injury that season that required surgery and limited him to just four games — and one start — in 2014.

Lulay started 10 games in 2015 before suffering a torn medial collateral ligament. Jennings stepped so impressively as a rookie that when Lulay returned, it was as the backup. To remain with B.C., Lulay had to not only swallow his pride but also take a significant pay cut.

Lulay led B.C. (3-1) to a third straight road win against an East Division opponent. He relished teaming up with receiver Nick Moore, who re-signed with the Lions in February after missing much of last year with a torn ACL suffered while celebrating a touchdown.

Moore, 31, had 10 catches for 220 yards and a TD versus Hamilton.

“An ACL on a receiver is like a throwing shoulder on a quarterback so I know what he went through,” Lulay said. “I was really pulling (for Moore), I’ve always been a really big Nick Moore fan.

“He’s a very smart football player, he reminds me a lot of (former Lions star receiver Geroy Simon) in that sense. It was really fun to be on the field with Nick.”

Lulay hit Moore with a 10-yard TD strike in the second quarter to put B.C. ahead 21-13.

“The fade I threw him, the backshoulder ball for a TD, we threw the same exact ball on a two-point conversion the first week in 2013 against Calgary,” Lulay said. “I said, ‘You remember the last time we threw this fade ball? Let’s throw one.’

“So we threw one in warmup. Little did we know we’d be throwing that in a game an hour or two later.”

REDBLACKS STRUGGLES

The Ottawa Redblacks’ hardluck season continues.

ThedefendingGreyCupchampions are 0-3-1 this year, the losses being by a combinedsixpoints.Ottawadropped a 23-21 decision in Edmonton on Fridaynight,missingatwo-pointconvert with under a minute remaining that would’ve tied the game.

The Redblacks don’t have time to worry about it. On Wednesday night, they’ll host a Montreal Alouettes squad that earned a solid 30-23 home win over the Calgary Stampeders on Friday night.

And then Ottawa will head to Toronto on Monday night for its third game in 11 days and face an opponent that will have had 11 days off. Then again, after playing the Redblacks, the Argonauts visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders five nights later.