Michael Mcleod Faced Evgeny Kuznetsov In Khl Season Debut

Just three days after signing a multi-year contract to return to Avangard Omsk, Michael McLeod suited up for the KHL club’s road game on Sunday against Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

In 15:53 of ice time, McLeod didn’t register any points, but had a shot on goal, three hits, and was 18-for-36 in the faceoff circle as Omsk won 5-1.

Evgeny Kuznetsov, playing in just his second game of the season for Magnitogorsk after signing with the team on Oct. 1, assisted on his team’s only goal – his second point in two games.

The game was a match-up between the top two teams in the KHL’s Eastern Conference. It was just Magnitogorsk’s third defeat in 14 games.

On Thursday, the Omsk club announced the signing of McLeod to a three-year contract. According to Avangard GM Alexei Sopin, the Canadian center was already in Omsk at the time and travelled with the team to start the road trip but was unable to play on Friday in Yekaterinburg due to unfinished paperwork. It was unclear whether he’d play on Sunday until the lineups were announced.

It was not mentioned in the club’s announcement whether McLeod’s contract contains an escape clause in the event he receives an NHL offer, but such clauses are common. As per the terms of his NHL suspension, McLeod will become eligible to sign an NHL contract on Oct. 15, although he was allowed to negotiate with teams and agree to terms as early as Oct. 1.

McLeod and four teammates from the 2018 Canadian national junior team – Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, and Carter Hart – were acquitted in July of sexual assault charges that stemmed from an incident that took place at a team event in 2018 in London, Ont.

McLeod is the second of the five players to sign with a European club since the acquittals. In September, Fomenton signed with HC Ambri-Piotta of Switzerland’s National League.

McLeod played in the KHL last season, first for Barys Astana and then for Omsk, recording 19 points in 35 regular-season games. He also had eight points in nine playoff games for Omsk before leaving the team in April to return to Canada for the start of the trial.

Michael McLeod Finds New KHL TeamCanadian center Michael McLeod, 26, has signed a contract to play the remainder of the current season with Avangard Omsk, the

Born in Mississauga, Ont., McLeod played junior hockey for his hometown Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL and was chosen in the first round, 12th overall, by the New Jersey Devils in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Between 2018 and 2024, McLeod played 287 regular-season NHL games for the Devils, registering 29 goals, 56 assists, 85 points and 187 penalty minutes. His only NHL playoff action came in 2023, recording six points in 12 games as the Devils advanced to the second round.

In addition to McLeod, the Avangard roster includes ex-NHLers Nail Yakupov, Vyacheslav Voynov, Maxime Lajoie and Alexander Volkov. The team’s coach is former NHL head coach Guy Boucher.

Former Sen, Cane, Leaf Signs In KHLCanadian defenseman Maxime Lajoie, 27, has signed a one-year contract with Avangard Omsk, the KHL club announced on Tuesday.