It's never easy for a professional hockey player to jump back into the sport at its highest level after a year on the sidelines, but former Vancouver Canucks forward Alex Chiasson wanted to give it a go.
Chiasson signed a professional tryout (PTO) with the Detroit Red Wings just before training camps around the National Hockey League opened. At worst, Chiasson was likely hoping for a two-way deal that could've seen him go down to the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins, get back up to speed, and then maybe, appear in some games for Detroit later in the year.
Unfortunately for Alex Chiasson, that won't be the case. On Wednesday, the Detroit Red Wings announced that they've released Chiasson from his professional tryout, making him an unrestricted free agent once again.
Chiasson appeared in one game during the preseason with the Detroit Red Wings, which came back on Monday night in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The 34-year-old failed to record any points or shots-on-goal in the loss.
Now that Chiasson is back on the free agent market, it's unclear what will come next for him and if he'll be able to find a new home for the 2024-25 season. It's clear that the Montreal native wants to continue playing professional hockey and isn't ready to hang up the skates, so potentially we could see him sign an AHL deal or even head overseas to Europe where there will be plenty of interest in his services.
POLL | ||
Will Alex Chiasson play at all during the 2024-25 season? | ||
Yes | 45 | 19.7 % |
No | 184 | 80.3 % |
List of polls |