The Seattle Kraken placed 2018 Stanley Cup champion defenseman Michal Kempny on unconditional waivers Thursday for contract termination purposes.
The 32-year-old Czech signed a one-year deal in Seattle in late July.
Kempny is signed to a 1 year / 1 way $750k league minimum contract.
He previously cleared regular waivers on Oct 10th, and was immediately loaned to the AHL
Once he clears waivers tomorrow, he will be a UFA free to sign with any team https://t.co/Un88HiyZWN
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) October 20, 2022
The move means that both Kempny and the Kraken mutually agreed to terminate his contract and once he clears waivers he will be eligible to sign wherever he pleases. Sean Shapiro reports that Kempny will continue his career in Europe.
Kempny had spent the past four seasons with the Washington Capitals after a trade saw him arrive from the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018. The Czech defenseman, paired with John Carlson, played a huge role in the Caps’ Stanley Cup victory later that season.
In the years after, Kempny suffered three unlucky injuries to his left leg that derailed his career. After not making the Capitals out of Training Camp for the 2021-22 season, Kempny spent most of the year in Hershey to regain his timing and form before getting a late-season callup.
Now, he’ll head back to where he first started his career. The veteran has played eight separate seasons across Slovakian, Czech, and Russian pro leagues.
Good luck, Michal!
Headline photo: Cara Bahniuk/RMNB
