Veteran defenseman Jason Demers signs in KHL

After Hockey Canada announced that they will no longer be participating in the Spengler Cup, players were left scrambling for other opportunities to stay in game shape. For Jason Demers, that means a contract with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL. The veteran defenseman has signed a deal for the rest of the season, one that will presumably still allow him to take part in the Olympics for Canada should the NHL officially pull the plug.

Demers, 33, has 699 regular-season NHL games under his belt but was surprisingly left unsigned in last summer’s free-agent frenzy. Perhaps the Olympics were a consideration in that regard, as he will almost certainly be on the team if it’s being made up by players from outside the NHL. Once a reliable two-way defenseman that would put up 20-30 points every single season, Demers had just four in 41 games during 2020-21.

The KHL deal is interesting, as it suggests that Demers also won’t be an option down the stretch for an NHL club. There was at least some speculation that a player like him could attend the Olympics and then sign an NHL deal before the March 21 trade deadline, allowing him to join a club for the last few months of the season. A contract with Ak Bars, though, will prevent that, unless there is a buyout or termination at some point.

For now, Demers will get back on the ice and play at a competitive level, even if it will be a brand-new experience for him. A regular in the NHL since the 2009-10 season, his only overseas action was during the 2012-13 lockout, when he racked up 21 points in 30 games for Karpat in Finland.