NHL

Controversial Elite Signs With SKA Saint Petersburg Of The KHL After a Massive Trade Block Earlier

Nero Scofield

Tony DeAngelo has signed a one-year deal with SKA Hockey Club of Saint Petersburg of the KHL.

Tony DeAngelo has inked a one-year contract with SKA Hockey Club in Saint Petersburg, part of the KHL. “I’m thrilled to be here,” DeAngelo expressed during his first interview on Monday. He will don the number 24 on his jersey, as announced by the team.

At 28 years old, he was put on the trade block earlier this year and often found himself as a healthy scratch over the past couple of seasons. In the 2023-24 season with Carolina, he recorded 11 points in 31 games, averaging a career-low 14:20 of ice time per game. Prior to that, he played one season with the Flyers, appearing in 70 games and accumulating 42 points.

Tony DeAngelo’s career has been overshadowed by controversy, beginning with suspensions during junior hockey for breaching the OHL’s Harassment and Abuse/Diversity Policy and for mistreating officials. His time in the professional league has also faced disciplinary matters, including a 2021 buyout by the Rangers following an incident involving teammate Alexandar Georgiev.

There were hopes that he might find a spot on an NHL team this season, but when he wasn’t invited to an NHL training camp on a professional tryout (PTO), it became clear he would need to pursue options overseas.

This summer, DeAngelo became a unrestricted free agent after his second stint with the Carolina Hurricanes. Recently, he joined SKA, making him the third former NHL player to sign with the team this off-season, alongside Sergei Plotnikov, Mikhail Grigorenko, Nikita Zaitsev, and Evgeny Kuznetsov.

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