Three NHL defensemen have found new homes during the lockout and one doesn't have to move far.
Klagenfurt of the Austrian league announced that it has signed Buffalo Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers and the Kontinental Hockey League's AK Bars Kazan said it was bringing in Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin.
Phoenix Coyotes defenseman David Schlemko, meanwhile, will play for the Arizona Sundogs, rejoining the Central Hockey League team he played with during the 2007-08 season.
"The offers I had in Europe weren't in the best leagues," he told the Arizona Republic. "It wasn't going to be about making money. It was kind of going to be somewhere to play until we're up and going again. We had a PA meeting with our division rep a few weeks back, and I kind of explained my situation with a new baby and he recommended finding a job in North America for now."
Schlemko and his wife, Kristin, welcomed a baby girl, Ava, a month ago.
"I was thinking earlier if there was a lockout, it might be cool to go to Europe. But once you have that baby, you don't want to be too far from her. That was a big factor."
With former ties to the organization, and an hour move to Prescott Valley, the Sundogs made sense for Schlemko, who won the league championship with the squad in 2008. He will start skating with the team on Monday with the first game of the season slated for the following Saturday.
"There are lots of good memories," Schlemko said. "Obviously I won a championship with them. It's a small, tight-knit community. It's pretty cool actually even going back. I went for a press conference there on Friday, and all the fans remember you and they remembered my wife. They're great fans. When I played there, that building was packed every night."
Myers will be joining Sabres teammate Thomas Vanek in the Austrian league. Vanek plays for Graz.
Myers, the 2009-10 NHL rookie of the year, is in the first year of a seven-year, $38.5 million contract. He was to make $12 million this season, though he has received $10 million of that in the form of a signing bonus.
Emelin had played four years with Ak Bars, winning two championships with the Russian team.
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