Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nikolai Kulemin has signed a lockout contract with his hometown team Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
The Russian team confirmed signing of the 26-year-old player on its website Monday, adding he will arrive in the Ural Mountains city on Thursday.
Kulemin became the third NHL player signed by Metallurg after the contracts were concluded with last season’s MVP Evgeni Malkin and Ottawa Senators defender Sergei Gonchar.
Kulemin played with Malkin for a year in the Russian team before moving to Toronto, where he spent four seasons scoring 152 points in 303 games.
According to KHL regulations, each team may sign a maximum of three players from the North American league.
The deadline for averting a lockout passed Saturday after the NHL and the players’ association failed to agree terms on a new collective contract.
