Kevin Hayes signed a one-year contract to compete in the KHL. He completed twelve NHL seasons. The experienced forward played for the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins during his time in North American hockey. Now he heads to Europe.
The NHL hopes to add another team. They are advancing plans for putting a 33rd team in the Sun Belt region. Houston is the leading candidate. The league looks at Houston over Austin as the primary location. League officials plan to finalize the details by December.