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Ex-NHL D-Man Leaves North America, Signs With KHL Club
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- Ex-NHL D-Man Leaves North America, Signs With KHL Club
Canadian-Australian defenseman Ben Harpur , 30, has signed a one-yearcontract with the Shanghai Dragons, the Chinese-based KHL clubannounced on Sunday.
Harpurhas spent his entire career to this point in North America, andattended the Florida Panthers training camp this past September and October.
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"Ben's a big,tough defender who knows what it takes at the NHL level,"said Dragons GM Igor Varitsky ."He's played under Coach Gallant before, so we knowexactly what we're getting: strength, experience, and a strongpresence around the net."
Harpurwas born in Hamilton, Ont. to a Canadian father and Australianmother, and has citizenship of both countries. He played juniorhockey for the Guelph Storm and Barrie Colts of the OHL and was selected in the fourth round, 108th overall, bythe Ottawa Senators in the 2013NHL Entry Draft.
Between2015 and 2023, the 6-foot-6, 218-pound Harpur played 198 NHLregular-season games for the Senators, NashvillePredators and New YorkRangers , recording 21 points and 143 penalty minutes. He alsoplayed in nine playoff games for Ottawa in the spring of 2017.
Overthe past two seasons, injuries and a suspension have limited Harpurto just 36 total games in the AHL .
Alexander Burmistrov & Adam Clendening Latest To Sign With Chinese KHL Team
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Harpurjoins a Shanghai team that currently sits second in the TarasovDivision with 21 points in 15 games. If the team remains on thatpace, it should qualify for the playoff for just the second time inthe history of the franchise that was formerly known as Kunlun RedStar.
Otherex-NHLers currently on the roster include Kevin Labanc , AlexanderBurmistrov, Adam Clendening , RyanSpooner, Nick Merkley , GregMcKegg and BornaRendulić , who is currently the team'sleading scorer with 15 points.
The coach of the Dragons is former Jack Adams winner Gerard Gallant , forwhom Harpur played while with the Rangers .
Gerard Gallant Takes Over KHL’s Shanghai Dragons
