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Ex-Canadiens player Alex Galchenyuk leaves NHL for Russia

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Aug 25 2023, 9:11 pm
Ex-Canadiens player Alex Galchenyuk leaves NHL for Russia
Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports

Former Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Galchenyuk will be playing in Russia for the next two seasons.

SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL made the announcement on Friday afternoon that they have signed the 29-year-old to a two-year contract.

“Alex Galchenyuk is a SKA player! The 29-year-old forward, who previously participated in almost 700 NHL matches, has penned a two-year deal with our club,” the team wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He will wear number 89 on his jersey. Welcome to Saint Petersburg!”

Galchenyuk has spent the past 11 seasons playing professionally in North America, though last season saw him suit up mainly for the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. He was able to get in 11 games with the Colorado Avalanche but failed to register a single point.

Despite last season’s struggles, Galchenyuk appeared to be on his way to getting back into the NHL for the 2023-24 campaign, as he inked a one-year, $775,000 deal with the Arizona Coyotes earlier this summer. That deal wound up being terminated less than two weeks after it was signed, however, as Galchenyuk was arrested for a hit-and-run and allegedly told a police officer that he would “end his bloodline.”

Shortly after having his contract terminated, Galchenyuk released an apology and confirmed that he would be checking himself into the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

While no one knows what the future holds, we may have seen the last of Galchenyuk in the NHL. It is an unfortunate ending to what seemed like a promising career early on. After being drafted by the Canadiens third overall in 2012, he appeared to be on his way to stardom after a 30-goal season in 2015-16. However, his numbers began declining soon afterward, resulting in him bouncing around the league for the past several seasons. Hopefully, at the very least, he is in a better place mentally and can get back to doing what he does best with St. Petersburg this upcoming season.

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