Slovak winger Richard Pánik, 33, has signed a contract to play the remainder of the current season with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, the KHL club announced on Monday.
In late September, Pánik signed a two-month contract with Slovan Bratislava, with whom he recorded 13 points in 18 Slovak Extraliga games. The club gave him the option of staying longer but Pánik obviously decided to chase a more lucrative deal elsewhere, which he’s finally found. His last game in Slovakia was on Nov. 27.
Born in Martin, Slovakia, Pánik joined Czech club Oceláři Třinec in 2006 at age 15. He eventually turned pro with Třinec with 25 Czech Extraliga games between 2007 and 2009 and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Pánik then played in North America for the next 13 years, first in the OHL for the Windsor Spitfires and Belleville Bulls, and then in the NHL systems of the Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders.
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In 521 NHL regular-season games, Pánik recorded 195 points and 274 penalty minutes. In 20 additional playoff games, he had five points and 18 minutes.
Since returning to Europe in 2022, Pánik played one season in Switzerland for Lausanne HC and split last season between Třinec and Dynamo Pardubice, which happened to be the two teams that met in the finals. Pánik was on the losing side, with Pardubice falling in seven games. Pánik put up 38 points in 65 Czech Extraliga games last season.
Pánik joins a Lokomotiv team with the best record in the KHL, having lost only eight of its first 36 games. Among the bigger names on the team are ex-NHLers Alexander Radulov and Byron Froese.