MOSCOW, July 29 (R-Sport) – Croatian hockey team Medvescak Zagreb added to their stockpile of North American players Monday, signing former Columbus Blue Jackets center Andrew Murray, the KHL club said in an online statement.
Terms of the deal were not immediately known.
Murray, a 31-year-old from Selkirk, Manitoba, becomes the 23rd North American on a roster including fellow Canadian Jonathan Cheechoo, the former San Jose Sharks star and 2006 Maurice Richard Trophy winner, and ex-NHLers Mark Popovic and Michael Ryan.
The 242nd overall pick by the Blue Jackets in 2001, Murray has made 221 NHL appearances with Blue Jackets, Sharks and St. Louis Blues, racking up 24 goals and 16 assists. He played 51 games with the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League last season, scoring 14 goals and 17 assists.
Medvescak’s sports manager Andrew Fox called Murray a “quality two-way player,” adding that the eight-year pro should fit in well on a heavily veteran squad.
“He brings a very high character to the locker room and the possibility of playing in all situations,” Fox said in the statement. “He is a true center that will chip in offensively and be a key center to play against other teams’ top lines.”
Medvescak, entering their first KHL season, have 30 players on their current roster. According to KHL rules, at least five must be eligible to play for Croatia’s national team.
