Report: 5 Players who left the NHL for the KHL

From a 50+ goal scorer to a former first-round pick, they all chose to leave for Russia.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Report: 5 Players who left the NHL for the KHL
Keystone Press

There have been many players who have played in the NHL and decided it was not for them. We have seen many players from Russia come to the NHL from the KHL and shortly return there after. Besides Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk and Valeri Nichushkin, Here are five other players that returned to or joined the KHL after playing in the NHL.

Dmitri Kalinin (Sabres,Rangers) - Kalinin played in over 500 NHL games and put up over 100 career points before leaving the NHL for the KHL in 2009. 

Jonathan Cheechoo (Sharks, Senators) - The former Maurice Richard Trophy winner had 56 goals during the 2005-2006 NHL season. Cheechoo left North America for the KHL in 2013.

Alexei Morozov (Penguins) - Morozov who was drafted 24th overall by the Pens in 1995 played in over 450 NHL games before leaving the NHL for Kazan Ak Bars in 2004.

Maxim Talbot (Penguins, Flyers, Avalanche)- Fan favorite everywhere he played in the NHL. The Stanley Cup champion spent this last season in the KHL after playing in over 700 career NHL games. 

Vyacheslav Kozlov (Red Wings,Thrashers) -  "Slava" Kozlov left the NHL for SKA Moscow in the KHL in 2010. Before that Kozlov had a successful NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings and and Atlanta Thrashers putting up over 800 points in over 1000 career NHL games.