New jobs are never easy, especially when they’re located on the other side of the globe. Thus, as Gerard Gallant joins the KHL, he made sure to bring along a familiar face—none other than a former New York Rangers skater who has played with Brad Marchand and Connor McDavid, among other NHL stars.

Gallant is determined to flip the script after his turmoil exit from New York City. After two seasons with the Rangers, the head coach bursted out the door following a first-round elimination in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2023. Now, he has changed his address to China.

Gallant has signed with the Kontinental Hockey League’s Chinese club, the Shanghai Dragons. The 61-year-old bench boss has become the side’s first manager since relocating to the Pearl of the Orient. Previously, the Kunlun Red Star, the new team in Europe’s top league is determined to make a statement.

Thus, the acquisition of a former teammate of McDavid and Marchand, who also has plenty of KHL experience, could be one that fans look back on with amusement during the campaign.

Ryan Spooner #51 of the Boston Bruins looks on against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on February 11, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey.

Ryan Spooner #51 of the Boston Bruins looks on against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on February 11, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey.

As announced by the KHL, former NHL forward Ryan Spooner has signed a one-year contract with Gallant’s Shanghai Dragons ahead of the 2025-26 season. The campaign will begin on September 5.

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Background

Selected with the 45th overall pick in the 2010 NHL entry Draft by the Boston Bruins, Spooner played six seasons with Marchand on the Spoked B. He was traded to the Rangers in February 2018, in the shocking trade that sent Rick Nash to Beantown from the Big Apple.

Spooner appeared in 36 games with the Broadway Blueshirts before being moved away to the Edmonton Oilers in November 2018. After playing with McDavid in 25 games, Spooner was traded for the third time in less than a year as Edmonton shipped him off to the Vancouver Canucks.

SurveyCan Gallant lead the Dragons to a Gagarin Cup in the KHL?

Can Gallant lead the Dragons to a Gagarin Cup in the KHL?

The constant shifts in his NHL career led him to set for new horizons after the 2018-19 season. Spooner first joined the Swiss top-flight league before heading further east. As he signs with the Shanghai Dragons, Spooner enters his fourth KHL club, having previously played for the Dinamo Minsk, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, and Avangard Omsk.