Evander Kane Takes His Hockey Career to Russia With One-Year KHL Deal

Evander Kane is heading to Russia to continue his professional hockey career. Sibir Novosibirsk announced Tuesday that the 35-year-old winger has signed a one-year contract with the Kontinental Hockey League club, based in southwestern Siberia. The move follows Kane’s season with the Vancouver Canucks, his hometown team. He recorded 13 goals and 31 points in 71 games last season, according to the report. The team announcement marks a new chapter for the veteran after 17 seasons in the NHL. Kane was selected fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2009 NHL draft. He stayed with the franchise through its relocation and transformation into the Winnipeg Jets, and later played for Buffalo, San Jose, Edmonton and Vancouver. Across 1,001 NHL games, Kane compiled 648 points, including 339 goals and 309 assists. He has also had a brief stint in the KHL before: during the 2012-13 NHL lockout, he played 12 games for Dinamo Minsk, finishing with one goal and one assist. His new club is looking to improve its fortunes. Sibir sat at the bottom of the KHL’s 11-team Eastern Conference, with 22 points through 26 games as of Tuesday, the article reported. Kane will now take his experience to a team facing a challenging start to the campaign.