Zach Yuen Signs With KHL Chinese Franchise

23-year-old Zach Yuen just signed a two-year deal with HC Kunlun Red Star of the KHL, the league’s official site reports. The defenseman spent the latest season in the ECHL, skating with the Atlanta Gladiators and the Idaho Steelheads. Yuen’s sign is interesting, given that his family hails from Hong Kong.

The defenseman, who was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in 2011, but never made it to the NHL. He played the majority of his pro career in the ECHL, other than playing three games for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL. He also skated for five seasons in the WHL, topping the league in +/- with a plus-45 rating in 2011-12.

HC Kunlun Red Star started operations this year and will play its home games at the LeSports Center in Beijing. Yuen is the lone player of North American origin on the roster as of July 20. Among other players, they also signed former Buffalo Sabres goalie Andrey Makarov. Kunlun is currently in Finland for their training camp and will play their first exhibition game against Spartak Moscow on July 28. You can check HC Kunlun Red Star preseason roster on the team’s page at EliteProspects.