Evgeny Kuznetsov is already on the ice in SKA Saint Petersburg colors after signing his four-year contract with the KHL club last week.
SKA jumped on the ice in Sochi for a Training Camp skate on Tuesday and Kuznetsov was decked out in the team’s red, white, and blue. The KHL regular season gets underway in less than a month with SKA’s first matchup against Metallurg Magnitogorsk on September 5.
“Summer visor for #92 😎,” SKA wrote on social media per an Instagram translation. “Just right for the training camp in sunny Sochi.”
Kuznetsov is back in the KHL after spending a decade in the NHL with the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes. The 32-year-old centerman played parts of five seasons with his hometown Traktor Chelyabinsk in the league from 2009-2014.
In the photos, Kuznetsov sported an untucked SKA red practice sweater. He also rocked a new Bauer helmet with his classic number 92 and a pair of red, white, and blue Bauer gloves.
Per Match TV, the 32-year-old center will earn 92 million rubles per season with SKA — a nod to his jersey number — which is worth around $1 million USD.
Additional reporting from Sport24’s Daria Tuboltseva states that Kuznetsov could earn as much as $11.7 million more per season with SKA if he hits four performance bonuses annually.
“The decision was well-thought-out, and we made it as a family,” Kuznetsov said in his first interview since signing. “Perhaps my time has come. Everyone has their own time, and it’s time to leave, or in this case to leave the NHL. We are all very happy to be in St. Petersburg.
“I had a very long year,” he continued. “I understood and realized a lot for myself. I really want to play Russian hockey, to immerse myself in the realities of the KHL. I will do it with pleasure.”
