Aaron Palushaj, one of the few remaining free agents from last season’s Checkers team, will be joining Zagreb of the KHL next season.
Palushaj made the announcement on his Twitter feed Monday morning, just a few short days until the start of NHL training camps this weekend. The 25-year-old forward, who the Hurricanes chose not to qualify as a restricted free agent earlier this summer, ranked third on the Checkers in scoring with a career-high 58 points (22g, 36a) in his only season with the club.
In Zagreb, which is already five games into its regular season, Palushaj joins former Checkers teammate Mark Flood, a veteran defenseman who signed for the Croatian-based outfit in June. The western-heavy roster also includes former Hurricanes Anthony Stewart and Andrew Hutchinson. Other former Checkers to sign in Europe this offseason include goaltender Mike Murphy (Austria) and Matt Marquardt (Germany).
With Palushaj now under contract, Nicolas Blanchard and Sean Dolan are the only remaining free agents from last season’s Checkers. Players report to Carolina’s training camp this Thursday, with Charlotte’s camp set to begin at Extreme Ice Center in Indian Trail on Sept. 29.
