The Detroit Red Wings have locked up one of their top workhorses and senior defensemen with a contract extension.
Ben Chiarot, in his fourth year with the Wings, has signed for three years, $11.55 million, the club announced Wednesday, Jan. 28. It’ll keep Chiarot, 34, with the organization through the 2028-29 season.
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Chiarot’s contract average annual value (AAV) works out to $3.85 million, a decrease over the $4.75 million AAV on his current deal. The deal puts the Wings at roughly $66 million in players signed through next season, when the NHL’s salary cap projected to reach $104 million.
Chiarot, a dependable, top-four defenseman who logs time against opposing top players and is a major part of the penalty kill, was one of the few notable expiring contracts on the team.
Chiarot has four goals and seven assists and a plus-1 rating in 54 games. Since joining the Wings as a free agent in 2022, he has missed only 12 games through more than three-and-a-half seasons.
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Ben Chiarot (8) handles the puck during the second period against the Los Angeles Kings at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Patrick Kane, 37, has worked his way toward another extension, and James van Riemsdyk, 36, has done everything to earn a second year, too.
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The biggest name for the Wings to look up this summer − or sooner − is defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who was having an excellent season until sidelined by a lower-body injury a week ago. Edvinsson turns 23 on Feb. 5 and will be a restricted free agent this summer.
The Wings (32-17-5), in second place in the Atlantic Division, next play Thursday at home against the Washington Capitals.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.Â
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ben Chiarot contract extension with Red Wings is for 3 years