Mac Truck Reloaded: Ryan McDonagh signs three-year extension with Bolts

Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh signed a three-year, $12.3 million contract on Thursday to keep the alternate captain in Tampa Bay. The deal, worth an average annual value of $4.1 million, begins next season.

Despite not playing since November 8 due to injury, the 36-year-old stalwart has three goals, three assists and is averaging 20:10 of ice time per game this season, third among Bolts defensemen behind Victor Hedman (22:36) and J.J. Moser (21:33).

McDonagh, an 18-year veteran and two-time All Star, first joined Tampa Bay in 2018 as part of a pivotal trade with the New York Rangers. Seven years later, the now beloved Bolt maintains the same galvanizing belief as when he first arrived.

“It means a lot,” McDonagh told the media Thursday morning. “A top team wanting you to be a part of it and putting their belief in you, it motivates you to go out and perform at the level that’s expected of you. I take a lot of pride in being a dependable player and someone the coaching staff and players can trust.”

Among all active NHL defensemen, McDonagh ranks first in career plus/minus (+290), third in blocked shots (2,037), ninth in takeaways (521) and 13^th in games played. He is a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion with the Bolts in 2020 and 2021 and ranks second in Lightning history for plus/minus (+118) and blocked shots (707). His long and reputative career in the NHL is chock-full of acclaimed moments, and he holds his time in Tampa near the top.

“This place is special in many ways,” McDonagh said. “You can find a lot of places to work in this world, but it’s the people that make it truly special. And this place has a lot of special people from the top down, which makes it such a great place to show up to work every day, give it your all and leave it all out there.”

Needless to say, the extension in Tampa Bay carries weight with the Mac Truck, but it might mean even more to his family.

Back in 2024, when it was announced that McDonagh would return to Tampa Bay after his brief stint in Nashville, ThunderBug surprised his kids Falan, Murphy and Nola with a surprise welcome back video. Now, two seasons in and a couple years older, continuing to call Tampa Bay home is all the more important.

“My job is to be the best hockey player I can and help teams win hockey games. But I’ve also got a family now and I’m a husband and a father. Those are the most important relationships in my life,” McDonagh added.

“To be here now and be able to say that I can raise them in a place like Tampa Bay makes coming to the rink even easier, because you can be that husband, be that father that you envision all while playing a game that you truly love.”

And while ThunderBug cameos may not be applicable to midseason extensions, don’t worry, the kids are psyched, too.

“They’re thrilled,” McDonagh said. “They’re still young, my kids, they were happy when I told them the news. They love living here in Tampa Bay as much as we do and going to school here and playing sports…it’s awesome for them.”

McDonagh is now solidified in an increasingly exciting time for Lightning hockey. The Bolts have won 15 of their last 19 games entering Thursday night’s matchup with the Penguins. And Tampa Bay’s roster continues to be as talented as they come, with McDonagh factoring in as a major part of that on the defensive end.

“That’s all you can ask for, is to be able to keep competing, keep going after the ultimate goal of more Cups,” McDonagh said. “That’s what drives you as a player…I’m just thrilled to be a part of this group and keep moving forward.”