Key Takeaways
- NHL veteran Jimmy Vesey, 32, is considering a move to the KHL after Colorado declined to re-sign him.
- SKA St. Petersburg, now led by Igor Larionov, is the top suitor, with Ak Bars, Dinamo Minsk, and Kunlun Red Star also interested.
- Vesey has played 626 NHL games with six teams, scoring 101 goals since debuting in 2016.
Jimmy Vesey playing for the Rangers (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NHL forward Jimmy Vesey may continue his career in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). According to RG sources, the 32-year-old is exploring the possibility of leaving the NHL to sign with a KHL club.
The frontrunner for Vesey’s signature is SKA St. Petersburg. Other interested teams include Ak Bars Kazan, Dinamo Minsk, and the Chinese club Kunlun Red Star.
“Jimmy has been asking a lot of questions about how things work in the KHL and is seriously considering offers from the top European league,” a source close to Vesey told RG.
Vesey began the 2024–25 season with the New York Rangers, appearing in 33 games and recording six points (four goals, two assists). On March 1, 2025, the Rangers traded him, along with Ryan Lindgren and prospect Hank Kempf, to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Juuso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan, a second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick. Vesey played 10 games for Colorado, adding two points (one goal, one assist), but the Avalanche chose not to offer him a new contract for next season.
A Harvard University graduate, Vesey had two stints with the Rangers, the team where he began his NHL career in 2016. Over 626 games with the Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils, and Colorado Avalanche, he has scored 101 goals and collected 194 points.
Originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in the third round (No. 66 overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Vesey opted to play four seasons at Harvard. He was a Hobey Baker Award finalist in both 2015 and 2016, recognized as one of the top players in U.S. college hockey. His rights were traded to the Sabres on June 20, 2016.
The top contender for Vesey now is SKA St. Petersburg, a club recently taken over by three-time Stanley Cup champion and Detroit Red Wings legend Igor Larionov.
