Chinese-Canadian defenseman Jason Fram, who has spent the past five seasons playing for KHL club Kunlun Red Star, has signed with Asiago Hockey 1935, the Italian-based ICEHL club announced on Thursday.

“I know many guys who have played in the ICEHL over the years and I know that it is a difficult league,” said 29-year-old Fram. “It’s incredible to see the history of the Asiago team and I am excited about this year’s challenge. I think we have a good group of players who can compete for a championship.”

Fram, also known by his Chinese name Jie Liu, was born in Vancouver, played junior hockey for the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs and attended the University of Alberta, went to the Chinese club at age 24 and became a naturalized citizen, which allowed him to play for the Chinese national team. He represented China at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and in two IIHF World Championships at the Division II Group A and Division I Group B levels.

He did not play for China at last year’s Worlds, as the team attempts to rely more on players developed in China to form the basis of its national team. 

Although Kunlun is still nominally a Chinese team, it has played its home games in suburban Moscow since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and its moves this off-season indicate a shift in priorities from building the Chinese national team to being more competitive in the KHL. But landing a former KHLer is a real coup for an ICEHL team.

“This is a player that we believe can make a difference,” said Asiago sports director Diego Tessar, “and we are happy to be able to bring to Asiago. He is a complete and well-rounded defender. Thanks to these qualities, he can be an asset on the power play. In addition to his technical skills, he is able to play with great intensity.”

Asiago is one of three Italian clubs that play in the ICEHL – a 13-team league that also has eight teams in Austria and one each in Hungary and Slovenia. Last season, Asiago finished 11th.