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Unrestricted free agent forward Alexei Ponikarovsky has come to terms on a contractual agreement with SKA St. Petersburg of Russia's Kontinental Hockey League, according to Igor Eronko of Sports.ru on Monday morning. Eronko states the deal is for two years, but the financial terms of the agreement were not made available.
Ponikarovsky spent the 2013 season in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets and New Jersey Devils. After playing 12 games with Winnipeg, the forward was sent to New Jersey via trade. It marked the second consecutive season that the Devils acquired Ponikarovsky in such a fashion.
The 33-year-old has played the last three seasons on one-year contracts. In 2013, he earned a pro-rated $1.8 million, according to CapGeek.com. Originally chosen with the No. 87 overall selection in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ponikarovsky spent the first eight years of his career with the club. After playing in 61 games with Toronto during the 2009-10 season, he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins and subsequently signed with the Los Angeles Kings prior to the 2010-11 season.
In 678 career regular season games, Ponikarovsky recorded 323 points (139 goals, 184 assists) and 419 penalty minutes while averaging 14:22 of ice time per game.
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