Reigning AHL MVP and league leading scorer Andrew Poturalski has signed a one-year contract with Avangard Omsk of the KHL, the team announced Sunday. [https://x.com/hcavangardomsk/status/1949514155758690793] The 31-year-old was granted a release from the second year of his contract [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/latest-news/ahl-mvp-andrew-poturalski-granted-release-from-contract-by-san-jose-barracuda] with the San Jose Barracuda at the end of May. NHL Agrees TO New CBA And CHL Rules Poturalski led the AHL in scoring with 73 points in 59 games and won the Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP for the 2024-25 season. He also led the league in scoring in 2020-21 and 2021-22. He is one of only three players to lead the AHL in scoring three times. The Williamsville, NY., native has racked up the AHL accolades, winning the 2019 Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers and 2022 Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves, he led the playoffs in points in 2019 and captured the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as Playoff MVP. Sitting 105th on the AHL's all-time scoring list, Poturalski has 161 goals and 493 points in 527 career AHL games with the Barracuda, Checkers, Wolves, San Diego Gulls, and Coachella Valley Firebirds. After originally turning pro with the Checkers in 2015-16 after two years at the University of New Hampshire Poturalski played nine career NHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes, Seattle Kraken, and San Jose Sharks, recording three assists. He was named to the AHL First All-Star Team [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/latest-news/ahl-announces-2024-25-first-and-second-all-star-teams] this season for the second time, the fourth total postseason All-Star selection of his career (2019, 2021, 2022). One of the league's best players since he joined the AHL full-time in 2016-17, it is disappointing to see a player of Poturalski's talent head to the KHL. He will join former Wolves teammate Max Lajoie who signed with Omsk last week. [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/latest-news/calder-cup-champion-max-lajoie-signs-with-khl-s-avangard-omsk] Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/latest-news/ahl-free-agency-2025-tracker-and-analysis]. Photo Credit: © Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
