Stamkos: Relationship with Hedman 'big reason' for re-upping with Lightning

A pair of eight-year contract extensions will allow two Tampa Bay Lightning stars to keep the bromance alive.

Drafted first and second overall at the 2008 and 2009 NHL drafts respectively, Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman have not only become franchise cornerstones, but also close friends. That relationship, Stamkos says, played a big part in his decision to re-sign with the Lightning.

"Victor and I are extremely close friends," Stamkos told Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. "We came up in this organization as 18-year-old kids. To say that we're going to be together for the long run, and on one team, that's something special.

"It was extremely exciting to see him sign. A big reason why both of us stuck around is because of the relationship that we have as teammates and as friends as well."

Stamkos, of course, could have become one of the most high-profile unrestricted free agents in NHL history, but chose instead to sign an eight-year, $68-million contract extension. Hedman, meanwhile, signed his own eight-year deal (worth $63 million) that will kick in at the beginning of the 2017-18 season.

Both players would likely have commanded more on the open market, but the opportunity to stick together - and compete for the Stanley Cup on an annual basis - clearly helped tip the scales in the Lightning's favor.