Domi hopes to play in Montreal 'for a long time'

Montreal Canadiens forward Max Domi isn't focused on his next contract at the moment, but he knows that he wants to stay in Montreal.

"All I can really tell you is that I want to be with Montreal. I want to be here," Domi said Thursday, according to NHL.com's Dave Stubbs. "I love playing in Montreal, I love my teammates, I love this team, and I love the city. My hope is to play here for a long time. That's never changed since the time I played my first game here. That's that."

Domi is in his second season with the Canadiens after being acquired from the Arizona Coyotes in 2018. In his first season with the Canadiens, he led the team in scoring with a career-high 28 goals and 72 points.

The 25-year-old is set to be a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season. However, he says a new contract isn't a priority right now.

"I understand there comes a point where your contract is up, negotiations and all that stuff," Domi said. "As of right now, there's just (so) much other stuff in the world going on that's just so much more important than my contract. ...

"I couldn't care less about an NHL contract right now. I want to make sure we're doing everything we can to stay safe and get ready for whenever things come back to somewhat normal. I'm making sure I'm staying in contact with my family and my family is staying safe. That's what means most to me right now."

Domi recorded 17 goals and 44 points in 71 games before the season was paused March 12.

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