"The core is complete.

The Chicago Blackhawks signed forward Patrick Sharp to a five-year contract extension Wednesday, adding the veteran to the team's core group of players with long-term deals that includes Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Marian Hossa.

"Patrick is a very important member of our organization and we are looking forward to him being part of a core group that will be a contender for many years to come," Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement. "Over the last several years we have seen him develop into one of the game's elite players as well as a fixture in the community and we are proud to be able to announce this news today."

TSN reported the deal will carry a $5.9 million salary-cap hit per season. That will kick in at the start of the 2012-13 season. Sharp is entering the final year of a contract that will pay him $4.2 million with a cap hit of $3.9 million."