Kyle Quincey Signs In Finland

It looks like the end of the NHL road for veteran defenseman Kyle Quincey, as he has accepted a contract with HIFK in Finland’s Liiga for the 2018-19 season. The 33-year old played just 18 games with the Minnesota Wild last season, and didn’t end up playing in the minor leagues at all after the team put him through waivers to bury his cap hit. Now he’ll start the next chapter of his hockey career in Europe.

Quincey was once a reliable two-way defenseman for teams like Los Angeles, Colorado and Detroit, but has seen his play fall off considerably in recent years. That led to an exit from the Red Wings organization and short, unsuccessful stints in New Jersey Columbus and Minnesota the last two years. A player who once put up 38 points in 72 games for the Kings now finds himself completely out of the NHL and fighting just for his survival in professional hockey.

If this is the end of his NHL career Quincey will finish with 586 regular season games and 158 points, averaging more than 20 minutes a night despite his reduced totals over the last few years. He never did win a Stanley Cup but played 56 postseason contests. The fourth-round pick certainly out performed his draft position, even if it was a relatively short career.