Former New York Rangers Defenseman Headed To the KHL
The Utah Hockey Club is set to lose one of their defensemen to the KHL, as according to Craig Morgan and PHX Sports, the defenseman is set to head to Traktor Chelyabinsk.
Mikhail Zislis of Russia's Sport-Express also confirmed the news:
@RoadrunnersAHL
UFA D-man Steven Kampfer will sign w/a KHL team; details TBA when finalized.
Kampfer was a key Tucson leadership piece but w/Maveric Lamoureux & Artem Duda joining Tucson, his role was less certain.
Kampfer played in the KHL w/Ak Bars Kazan in 2021-22.
Kampfer was once a reliable 7th D in the NHL, but his role was diminished with recent additions of Utah's draft picks.
Kampfer will not re-sign with Utah and instead re-join the KHL where he played in 2021-2022 with AK Bars Kazan.
Kamper was most productive on the international stage posting 30 points in the Russian league, a career-high.
The defenseman's NHL career began in 2007, when he was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks and would first play in the NHL with the Boston Bruins.
He was considered a stout defenseman, with lots of grit during his first 38-game stint in the NHL, during the 2010-2011 season. However, he couldn't find a scoring touch. He would follow the next 11 seasons jumping from the NHL to the AHL.
Kampfer would play a career 231 NHL games, scoring 39 points, while in the minors scoring 170 points in 378 career AHL games.
His best production came in overseas play and will look to maximize the final years of his career in the KHL.
Source: Pro Hockey Rumors
Steven Kampfer Expected To Sign In KHL
| POLL | ||
Will Kampfer retire professionally in the KHL? | ||
| Yes | 95 | 81.2 % |
| No | 22 | 18.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
