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Chris Driedger Leaves KHL Team; Headed Back To Winnipeg?
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- Chris Driedger Leaves KHL Team; Headed Back To Winnipeg?
Traktor Chelyabinsk and goaltender Chris Driedger have terminatedtheir contract upon mutual agreement, the KHL club announced onSunday.
The news came two days after it was announced that Connor Hellebuyck would be out of the Winnipeg Jets ' lineup for four to six weeks. The Jets retainedDriedger's NHL rights when he signed with Chelyabinsk in June .
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The Jets called up 22-year-old ThomasMilic from the AHL 's ManitobaMoose andre-assigned IsaacPoulter fromthe ECHL to Manitoba. The Jets might plan to assign Driedger to the Moose as insurance if the duo of Milic and Eric Comrie falters before Hellebuyck returns.
In 23 games this season withTraktor, Driedger has a goals-against average of 3.05, a .917 savepercentage, one shutout and a record of 8-9-1. Traktor currently sitsfifth in the KHL's 11-team Western Conference with a record of13-12-5.
It's often the case when KHL contracts are terminated by mutual agreement that the player already has another job lined up. Just two weeks ago, Spencer Martin – another former NHL goalie who signed a KHL contract this past off-season – ended his stay with CSKA Moscow . The following day, Martin signed with the New York Rangers .
Spencer Martin's KHL Journey Ends After 14 Games
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Driedger,who wasborn and raised in Winnipeg,played junior hockey for the WHL 'sTri-City Americans and Calgary Hitmen, was chosen in the third round,76th overall, by the OttawaSenators inthe 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Between2014 and 2024, Driedger played67 NHL regular-season games for the Senators, FloridaPanthers and SeattleKraken , compiling a record of 31-24-5 with a goals-againstaverage of 2.45, a save percentage of .917 and five shutouts. He alsoplayed three playoff games for Florida in 2021.
Winnipeg acquiredDriedger in a trade with Florida in 2025 – he played only five AHLgames with the Moose at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Internationally, Driedger played in six of Canada's 10 games atthe 2022 IIHF World Championship in Finland, backstopping the team toa silver medal.
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