Tony DeAngelo (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Tony DeAngelo has signed a one-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. The 28-year-old defenseman was presented as an SKA player on Monday.
DeAngelo patiently waited until the last minute to sign a contract with an NHL team and moved to Russia only after the NHL training camps had already opened.
"I waited through most of the summer," DeAngelo said in a one-on-one interview with RG. "It took a bit long. It was back and forth. With a bunch of different things, the negotiation process wasn't where we wanted to go. I had a great opportunity to come here and play in a great League with great players. It was the best situation for myself at this time."
DeAngelo played 31 games for Carolina Hurricanes last season, scoring 11 points (three goals, eight assists). DeAngelo played 371 games in the NHL for the Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Hurricanes.
He said that he "considered every option", including signing a PTO contract in the NHL as well as options in Europe: "Any option was on the table, but as I said, the best option for me was this one."
DeAngelo’s career-high in points came in the shortened 2019-20 season with the Rangers when he scored 53 points (15 goals, 38 assists) in 68 games. It was his first of two 50-point seasons over his eight years in the NHL. The Tampa Bay Lightning drafted DeAngelo 19th overall in 2014.
DeAngelo said he talked to many players before signing with SKA.
DeAngelo signed a one-year contract, but the exact amount has not yet been disclosed. However, the modest contract includes large bonuses.
"I'm a confident player," he said. "I'm confident about what I can do regarding bonuses. I want to win as well. The most important thing is winning. A win is good for everybody. I'm looking to be a big part of the team."
DeAngelo is not sure if he'll ever come back to the NHL.
"I guess, we'll see. I'm not sure. That question is not for me but for GMs and coaches in the NHL. Now, I'm just focused on this season."
DeAngelo also admitted he'll return to X (ex-Twitter). In 2021, after former US president Donald Trump was banned from using Twitter, DeAngelo announced that he was deactivating his account.
"Yes, I'll return," he said. I'd want to read everything that is going on, but I'm not going to post anymore."
Sergey Demidov
