Maine Hockey Journal

Old Face Returns to North America

As the Anaheim Ducks head to the Stanley Cup finals – taking on the Ottawa Senators – for the second time in four years, Ducks GM Brian Burke is hard at work signing players for next season.

The Ducks most recent signing is actually an old face to the Ducks organization as they have signed defenseman Maxim Kondratiev to a one-year deal. No financial terms disclosed, however it is believed to be a one-way deal.

Kondratiev spent last season with Togliatti Lada of the Russian Super League after being unable to reach an agreement with the Ducks on a contract. In 51 games, he scored three goals, 17 assist for 20 points with 142 penalty minutes.

“Maxim decided to continue his career in the NHL, and we wish him
success,” Alexander Chebotarev, Lada’s executive director, told “Soviet
Sport in a recent interview.

Kondratiev was acquired by the Ducks on Jan 8, 2006 in a deal that sent Petr Sykora to the New York Rangers along with a fourth-round draft pick. Times were tough at times for the 6-2, 190-pound native from Togliatti, Russia while playing for the Pirates. In 37 games, he scored four goals, 13 assists for 17 points with 19 penalty minutes; however, he became one of the Pirates best defenseman in the Calder Cup playoffs with 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 13 games.

Kondratiev will head into next season with a real chance at making the Ducks roster as they lack any real depth beyond their top-three defenseman, but he could also see time in the Pirates line up as a veteran presence something they missed on the blueline at times last year.

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