Russian left winger Anton Slepyshev, 30, has taken a personal leave of absence from Dynamo Moscow, the KHL club announced on Friday.
“Due to family circumstances, the forward is forced to focus on life outside of hockey,” the club’s tweet began. “The Dynamo Moscow Hockey Club expresses its support and wishes him a speedy return to action!”
Slepyshev was drafted in the third round, 88th overall, by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2015 and 2018, he played 102 regular-season games for the Oilers, scoring 10 goals and adding 13 assists. He also played regularly for the team in its 2017 playoff run, scoring three goals in 12 games. During that time, he also had 31 points in 59 AHL games for the Bakersfield Condors.
Slepyshev is currently in his 11th KHL season and his first season for Dynamo. He has three points through the team’s first nine regular-season games. Previously, Slepyshev suited up for Metallurg Novokuznetsk, Salavat Yulaev Ufa and CSKA Moscow. In total, he has recorded 279 points in 576 KHL regular-season and playoff games. He has been a member of three Gagarin Cup championship teams.
Internationally, Slepyshev captained Russia at the 2021 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded six points in eight games, and also won a silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
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