UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The New York Islanders have suspended goalie Evgeni Nabokov for not reporting to the team after being claimed off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings last week.
The 35-year-old goaltender signed a one-year contract with Detroit on Thursday.
Nabokov, who played with the San Jose Sharks for parts of 10 seasons, had spent this season with SKA St. Petersburg of the Russian KHL and hadn’t yet played for Detroit.
The NHL’s collective bargaining agreement states that anyone who plays in a professional league before signing an NHL contract must clear waivers.
Once he signed his one-year deal with the Red Wings, he became available to the Islanders.
New York owns Nabokov’s rights and could keep him out of the NHL for all of next season should Nabokov not report.
Nabokov has been disappointed that he won’t be joining the Stanley Cup-contending Red Wings.