Dante Fabbro will be back in Music City U.S.A. for at least another year.
The Coquitlam defenceman signed a one-year, $2.5-million contract extension with the NHL's Nashville Predators on Friday (March 3), which will keep him in gold, navy and silver until the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
This comes before the 24-year-old's current two-year contract was up, which he signed in August 2021.
And, he put pen to paper just days before he'll get the chance to celebrate in Vancouver with family and friends when the Predators take on the Canucks on Monday (March 6).
Fabbro who attended Lord Baden-Powell Elementary, Como Lake Middle and Centennial Secondary schools while growing up in the Tri-Cities, is classified as a tough blue-liner for Nashville.
In fact, he's set a career-high this season with 71 hits in 56 games, as of this publication (March 4), which is currently the second-most among Preds' defenders.
The Penticton Vees' (BCHL) alumni also has eight points to date this year, including a goal and seven assists, and has the third-most penalty minutes with 36.
Fabbro has started in all but three contests for Nashville in his fourth full NHL season.
Since turning pro, Fabbro has notched 56 points in 230 career games — 12 goals and 44 assists — along with 121 penalty minutes and an overall plus-seven rating (+7).
He was selected by Nashville 17th overall in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft.
He ultimately signed with the team after completing three seasons at Boston University where he scored 80 points in 111 games and was named to the Hockey East second all-star team in both his sophomore and junior years.
In his rookie season, 2019-20, Fabbro averaged more than 19 minutes of ice time and finished tied for fourth in goals among first-year defencemen.
Fabbro has also represented Canada on a number of occasions, including the 2017 and 2018 World Junior Championships with silver and gold respectively, as well as the 2018 Spengler Cup in Switzerland.
His next game is set for tonight (March 4) on the road against Chicago at 5 p.m. Pacific time.
Fabbro and the Predators' clash with Vancouver is set for Monday, 7:30 p.m. at Rogers Arena.
- with files from Mario Bartel, Tri-City News
