Yesterday it was announced that Canadian forward Cedric Paquette has been approved for obtaining Russian citizenship.
The former 2020 Stanley Cup champion had been playing in the Russian KHL the last three seasons with Belarus’ Dinamo Minsk and more recently Dynamo Moscow.
Paquette, 31, will retain his Canadian citizenship, but his newly adopted Russian citizenship will allow him to continue his KHL career without counting against the league’s import limit starting next season.
He’s amassed 73 points (44+29) over 132 games since making the move to the KHL — with 11 of those points (8+3) coming across 17 games this season in Moscow, and is on the first year of a two year deal.
He previously played in 448 NHL games between the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadiens, scoring 51 goals and 44 assists for 95 points.
Before he got his start in pro hockey, Paquette played three seasons in the QMJHL with the Montreal Juniors and the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
He spent 126 of his 130 games in the ‘Q’ with the Armada, where he potted 131 points (58+73) — even wearing the ‘A’ in his last season with the team.
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