Returns, moves, and new faces. Top transfers
Graham returns to HC Sochi, while Tierney is back in Belarus. In the meantime, Nathan Todd signed with Metallurg, while Avtomobilist brought in Kale Clague from the Winnipeg Jets’ system.
Jesse Graham, D
From HK Nitra (Slovakia) to HC Sochi
Graham is returning to Sochi, where he previously spent two KHL seasons from 2023 to 2025. During that stint, the Canadian defenseman recorded 56 (18+38) points in 120 regular-season games. Last season, he split time between Switzerland and Slovakia before helping HK Nitra capture the Slovak championship. Across the two European leagues, Graham totaled 21 (5+16) points in 55 games, including 23 (4+19) points in 37 appearances for Nitra. Previously, Graham lined up for Barys in his first KHL season back in 2022-2023.
Chris Tierney, F
From HC Ambri-Piotta (Switzerland) to Dinamo Minsk
Tierney returns to Dinamo Minsk after spending the 2025-2026 season in Switzerland with HC Ambri-Piotta. In the National League, the Canadian center recorded 19 (7+12) points in 44 regular-season games while winning 52.2% of his faceoffs. The 31-year-old already proved his value in Minsk during the 2024-25 campaign. He collected 20 (10+10) points in 60 regular-season games and added 8 (2+6) points in eleven playoff appearances as Dinamo reached the second round for the first time in club history. Tierney also handled heavy defensive responsibilities, winning 52.0% of his draws in the regular season and 57.3% in the playoffs. Before coming to Europe, Tierney played 689 NHL games with San Jose, Ottawa, Florida, Montreal, and New Jersey, recording 260 (85+175) points.
Kale Clague, D
From the Manitoba Moose (AHL) to Avtomobilist
Clague arrives in the KHL on a two-year contract after spending the 2025-26 season with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. The Canadian defenseman recorded 27 (9+18) points in 67 games, ranking among the club’s most productive blueliners. The previous season, he posted a career-best 39 (10+29) points in 69 games for Rochester. A second-round pick (51st overall) by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2016 NHL Draft, Clague brings significant North American experience. He has appeared in 94 NHL games with Los Angeles, Montreal, and Buffalo, collecting 21 (2+19) points, while adding 165 points in 321 career AHL games. At 28, Clague will be making his KHL debut and gives Avtomobilist another offensively inclined defenseman capable of contributing on the power play and moving the puck efficiently from the blue line.
Nathan Todd, F
From Ak Bars to Metallurg
Todd joins Metallurg after helping Ak Bars reach the 2026 Gagarin Cup Final. The Canadian forward, who inked a two-year deal with Magnitka, was one of the team’s most consistent offensive contributors, recording 17 (9+8) points in as many regular-season games after being traded from Spartak, adding 12 (6+6) in the elimination stage. He also scored a key overtime winner against Dinamo Minsk in the second round and contributed throughout Ak Bars’ run to the championship series.
Doyle Somerby, D
From the Shanghai Dragons to Lada
Defenseman Doyle Somerby has left the Shanghai Dragons and signed a 1-year contract with Lada Togliatti. Somerby, a stay-at-home blue-liner, joined Shanghai ahead of the 2025-2026 season and provided size and defensive stability on the back end. In his final KHL campaign with the Dragons, he posted 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists) in 61 games, while also contributing regularly on the penalty kill and in defensive-zone matchups. At Lada, where he will enter his fifth season in the league, he is expected to bring physicality and reliability to the blue line and is seen as a replacement for Alex Cotton, who has signed with CSKA, even though the two defensemen bring different playing styles.
