Czech defenseman Jakub Kindl, 37, has signed a contract to play the remainder of the current season in the second tier of Finnish hockey with Joensuun Kiekko-Pojat, the Mestis club announced on Wednesday.

Kindl has not played yet this season.

“I have heard good things about Joensuu and Kiekko-Pojat from several sources,” said Kindl. “I want to help the team succeed in the spring and at the same time enjoy hockey in a new environment. I am already looking forward to the first games.”

“Jakub is a huge addition to our team,” said club GM Jaakko Lipponen. “He is a big, mobile defenseman who can not only defend but also play with the puck. He also brings a wealth of experience and leadership that is not often seen at this level. We are excited to have him on our team.”

Originally from Šumperk, Czechia, Kindl played junior hockey in Pardubice and then with the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL, where he was a two-time league all-star. He was drafted in the first round, 17th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Between 2009 and 2017, the 6-foot-3, 198-pound Kindl played 331 NHL regular season games with the Red Wings and Florida Panthers, recording 74 points and 181 penalty minutes. He added an additional five points in 20 playoff games – 19 of which were for Detroit.

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Since returning to Europe in 2017, Kindl played two seasons in Czechia with Plzeň and one in Germany with Kölner Haie but has since played irregularly. After taking the 2021-22 season off, he played one more season in Plzeň and spent the last two in Norway playing for the Storhamar Dragons.

Internationally, Kindl represented Czechia at two IIHF World Junior Championships and at the 2014 Worlds in Minsk, Belarus.

Joensuun Kiekko-Pojat, or simlpy JoKP, sits fourth in the 10-team Mestis with 65 points in 42 games.