Peter Regin is packing his bags for Finland.
The unrestricted free agent has signed a two-year deal with KHL club Jokerit for next season, the team announced Monday. Regin is on a one-year $650,000 contract with the Chicago Blackhawks this season, which he will play out before departing for the KHL.
Regin played in only four games this season, and spent the majority of the season playing for the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League. He scored 10 goals and 31 assists, and added three points in five Calder Cup playoff games.
The 29-year-old forward scored two goals and three assists in 21 games for the Hawks during two seasons. He was scoreless in five playoff games for the Hawks. His lone assist this season came against the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 9. Regin hasn’t played an NHL game since Nov. 14.
Regin was traded Feb. 6, 2014 from the New York Islanders to the Hawks along with Pierre-Marc Bouchard in exchange for a 2014 fourth-round draft pick. On July 1, 2014, he re-signed with the Hawks on a one-year deal. During the Hawks training camp this summer, Regin was assigned, to Rockford, along with goaltender Michael Leighton after clearing waivers.
Regin was originally drafted 87th overall in the third-round by the Ottawa Senators in 2004, he appeared in 243 regular season NHL games with Ottawa (2008-12), the New York Islanders (2013-14) and the Hawks (2013-15) registering 23 goals and 67 points.
Former IceHogs forward Mathis Olimb and goaltender Henrik Karlsson also play for Jokerit. Hawks forward Teuvo Teravainen played for Jokerit before signing with Chicago.
The Helsinki-based team left SM-Liiga after the 2013-14 season and started play in the KHL this season in the Bobrov Division in the Western Conference. Jokerit is the first team from a Nordic country to join the league.
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