Czech defenseman Michal Kempný, 34, has signed a one-year contract with Brynäs IF, the Gävle-based SHL club announced on Friday.

“It’s an honor to be part of such a fantastic organization with a proud tradition and passionate fanbase,” said Kempný. “I look forward to meeting everyone in the organization and becoming part of the Brynäs family. I can’t wait to get started.”

“Michal is a player who has won at several different levels in his career,” said Brynäs sports director Johan Alcén. “He has incredible experience and is a guy who is driven by competition and wants to win. We’ve received many great references for Michal and it feels really good and exciting that Michal will play for us.”

Originally from Hodonín in southeastern Czechia, Kempný played junior hockey just across the border in Skalica, Slovakia and then played in the Czech Extraliga for Kometa Brno and Slavia Prague and for one season in the KHL for Avangard Omsk.

Never drafted by an NHL team, Kempný signed as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2016 at age 26. From 2016 to 2022, he played 247 NHL regular-season games for the Hawks and Washington Capitals, recording 63 points and 146 penalty minutes. He also recorded six points in 30 playoff games and was a member of Washington’s 2018 Stanley Cup championship team.

Kempný signed as a free agent with the Seattle Kraken in 2022 but was assigned to the AHL and, after two games, his contract was terminated by mutual agreement. He then signed with Sparta Prague on Oct. 25, 2022, where he spent the following three seasons.

There Will Be A New Czech Champion - Třinec's 5-Year Reign Ended By Sparta After five long years, Oceláři Třinec’s reign as Extraliga champion is over, following the team’s quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Sparta Prague before a sellout crowd of 17,220 at O2 Arena on Monday.

Internationally, Kempný has represented Czechia at five IIHF World Championships, winning a gold medal on home ice in 2024, and at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Kempný joins a Brynäs team that is coming off a season in which it shattered all expectations. Just after being promoted from the HockeyAllsvenskan, Brynäs finished first overall in the regular season and made it to the SHL finals, where it lost to Lulea in six games.

In addition to Kempný, the club’s roster includes ex-NHLers Jakob Silfverberg, Johan Larsson, Robert Hägg, Oskar Lindblom, Christian Djoos, Axel Jonsson-Fjällby, Mattias Norlinder and goaltender Erik Källgren.

Last year’s team included defensemen Charles-Édouard D’Astous and Victor Söderström – however, D’Astous has signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Söderström, whose rights have been traded twice in the past few months, has signed with the Boston Bruins.

Photo © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Robert Hägg Returns To Sweden Swedish defenseman Robert Hägg, 30, has signed a one-year contract with Brynäs IF, the Gävle-based SHL club announced on Wednesday. Hägg is returning to Sweden after spending the past 11 seasons in North America, split between the NHL and AHL in six different organizations.