Forward Zack Kassian’s return to hockey ultimately only lasted eight short games.
On Tuesday, HC Sparta Prague announced that the 33-year-old skater had left the team for personal reasons and that his contract had been terminated.
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At the end of last January, Kassian attempted a return to hockey with the Czech First Division. He had announced his retirement from the National Hockey League (NHL) three months earlier, after being released from his professional tryout with the Anaheim Ducks.
The Windsor, Ontario native scored two goals and provided an assist in the eight games he played with HC Sparta.
In 2022-23, Kassian had a very difficult season with the Arizona Coyotes. He only scored two goals in 51 games, in addition to maintaining a differential of -18. He had previously worn the colors of the Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers. He was also briefly a member of the Montreal Canadiens in 2015, without playing a game with the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge.
Before the start of the 2015-2016 season, Kassian was involved in a car accident with two women in the Quebec metropolis. He suffered fractures to his nose and left foot, he who was also intoxicated. Suspended, he had to report to the NHL’s substance abuse assistance program. The CH traded him a few months later to the Oilers.