A Dragon from Shanghai - Kevin Labanc joins the Lakers

The SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers have found a replacement for Mike Sgarbossa. Instead of the Canadian, who was supposed to suit up for them the coming season but chose to stay in his home country for family reasons, Kevin Labanc is set to represent their colors.

Labanc previously played for the Shanghai Dragons and signed a deal valid until next summer with the Lakers. Before his stint in the KHL, the 30-year-old spent his career in the NHL. He was a longtime member of the San Jose Sharks, but last was with the Columbus Blue Jackets before heading off to China.

"Kevin has demonstrated his skills over many years in the NHL", team manager Claudio Cadonau states. "He is a scorer, has an excellent shot, and will be a huge help to us as a right-handed shooter on the power play. At 30, he’s also at the prime age for a hockey player."

The US-American's most well-known moment probably is his goal to put San Jose up 4-3 in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 7 against the Vegas Golden Knights. It was the last of four consecutive goals the Sharks scored on a five-minute power play. 

Overall, Labanc recorded  89 goals and 162 assists throughout 542 games in the NHL. With Shanghai, he put up 15 goals and 19 assists, which was good for third among the team last season.