RealGM

Speculation on Alain Vigneault's future with the Vancouver Canucks ended when the veteran coach signed a contract extension with the NHL club Wednesday.

The Canucks have posted the league's best regular-season record for the last two seasons under Vigneault. But his job status was unclear after Vancouver was bounced from the first round of the playoffs by the eighth-place Los Angeles Kings.

"Alain has established himself as one of the premiere coaches in the National Hockey League," said Canucks general manager Mike Gillis in a release. "He has demonstrated a commitment to winning that has led to back-to-back Presidents' Trophies and we are confident his dedication and hard work will continue to yield positive results.

"Alain has built a foundation of winning with this franchise and I feel he can continue to build on that foundation to achieve our ultimate goal."

Vigneault, a 51-year-old Quebec City native, had come under criticism after the Canucks were eliminated early after reaching the Stanley Cup final last season. He has guided the Canucks to a 287-155-50 record and the highest winning percentage in franchise history (.634) and five Northwest Division titles.

But he was entering the final year of his contract and risked becoming a lame-duck coach if he did not get a new deal.