Excellent returns and new faces. Top transfers
Spencer Foo and Lukas Klok return to the KHL, Lada Togliatti inks first imports, and Dinamo Minsk further strengthens its lineup. KHL.ru talks about the top international transfers.
Gemel Smith
From Henderson Silver Knights to Dinamo Minsk
The Canadian forward spent the 2022-2023 campaign split between the Syracuse Crunch and the Henderson Silver Knights, where he played side-to-side with several players with KHL experience such as Sakari Manninen, Spencer Foo, Ivan Morozov, and others. In Nevada, the Toronto native – who also has 91 NHL games under his belt, was successful, with 16 (5+11) points in 19 regular season games, although the Silver Knights failed to reach the elimination stage. Smith, 29, is supposed to bring speed and size to the Belarusian lineup, and his versatility will certainly help Dmitry Kvartalnov building the best roster as the season approaches.
Spencer Foo
From Henderson Silver Knights to Kunlun Red Star
A teammate for Gemel Smith in Henderson in the closing stage of the championship, Foo will return to the KHL to play side-to-side with his brother again with the Kunlun Red Star. It will be Foo’s fourth season with the Dragons as the team continues its development in the league. This year, Kunlun will be led by Viktors Ignatjevs as the Dragons try to return to the elimination stage after a six-year hiatus. In his most recent KHL campaign, Foo had 33 (14+19) points in 48 regular season games. The Dragons also recruited for the upcoming season Austin Wong, Justin’s younger brother, and Nolan Moyle.
Lukas Klok
From HC Lugano to Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk
The Czech defenseman has already lined up for the Tatarstan franchise in 2021-2022, finishing in the league’s top five for blueline scoring with 31 (5+26) points in 44 regular season games. In the next offseason, he was signed to a contract by the Arizona Coyotes, but he failed to make it to the big boys and moved back to Europe following a mere four games for the Coyotes’ AHL affiliates – the Tucson Roadrunners. Last term, Klok lined up for Rogle in Sweden and HC Lugano in Switzerland. Neftekhimik is assembling a nice team this season, despite losing Pavel Poryadin to Spartak, and they still have an open import slot with only Klok and Anthony Camara signed as foreigners.
Troy Josephs, Scott Kosmachuk
From HC Lugano and TPS to Lada
The KHL newcomer has finally signed its first imports in forwards Troy Josephs and Scott Kosmachuk – both hailing from Canada. Josephs, who has a good experience on European ice, moved first to Norway, then to Switzerland, where he spent his last four seasons. Kosmachuk, instead, has enjoyed great success in Austria, where he was named to the post-season All-Star team in 2022, missing the top-scorer title only by two points. Last term, Kosmachuk lined up for TPS in the Finnish Liiga, with 17 (9+8) points in 29 games. It’s clear that Lada Togliatti searched for players with enough experience on European leagues to help with their adaptation to achieve results as soon as possible. After signing Josephs and Kosmachuk, Lada has still an open import slot.
Luke Johnson
From San Jose Barracuda to Metallurg
Magnitogorsk lost Josh Currie and Philippe Maillet this summer – finding a suitable replacement would have been hard, thus Magnitka decided to ink another North American forward in Luke Johnson. The American forward will be at his first experience overseas after lining up in both the NHL and AHL in his pro career. A former draft pick for the Chicago Blackhawks, Johnson has also played in the NHL with the Minnesota Wild. Last term, Johnson had 18 (10+8) points in 67 regular season games for the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. With Johnson and Robin Press under contract, Magnitka has also an open import spot.
Dylan Ferguson
From Belleville Senators to Dinamo Minsk
After securing another year of Alexei Kolosov between the piping, the Belarusians were still seeking for a goalie to support their young stars. Ferguson had his NHL debut last year, posting 48 saves in a 2:1 win by the Ottawa Senators over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite posting good numbers in the AHL and winning six games of eight, he was limited to two games in the big league, and his contract wasn’t renewed by the Senators. Ferguson, 24, seems to be a capable goalie and his signing can be an excellent move by Dinamo Minsk – it will be interesting to see how the Belarusians will fare next year, with Dmitry Kvartalnov behind the bench and several interesting moves. The Russian coach is adept at developing young players, and certainly Dinamo can boast young talent throughout its lineup.
