On Wednesday morning, the San Jose Sharks announced that they had reached an agreement with former New York Rangers defenseman Libor Hajek on a one-year, two-way deal.

Hajek, who had spent the past three seasons back in his native Czechia, last played an NHL game for the Rangers during the 2022-23 season. The 28-year-old defenseman has had considerable success since returning to the Czech Extraliga as he led the league in game-winning goals by a defenseman during the 2023-24 season, led the league in postseason plus/minus during the 2024-25 campaign, and then won the Extraliga Championship with HC Dynamo Pardubice during the 2025-26 season.

Over the summer, Hajek also represented Czechia at the IIHF World Championship, failing to record a point in eight games, but finishing the tournament as a +3. 

When Hajek signed with Dynamo Pardubice, the contract was reportedly set to run through 2028, but it appears he either had an NHL out-clause in his deal or the Sharks opted to buy him out of his contract.

During his NHL career with the Rangers, Hajek appeared in 110 games, scoring four goals and 12 points in the process. He also registered 40 penalties and was a -9.