Latest News

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Jets' Ladd decides not to join KHL club in Siberia

By: Ed Tait and Gary Lawless

Posted: 10/4/2012 7:25 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 10/4/2012 1:48 PM | Updates

Locked out Winnipeg Jets captain Andrew Ladd at practice Wednesday at the MTS IcePlex. (JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Related Items

Winnipeg Jets’ captain Andrew Ladd has pulled the pin on his exodus to the Kontinental Hockey League.

The Avangard Omsk Hawks of the KHL announced earlier today that Ladd would be joining their club, based in Omsk, in the southwestern part of Siberia. But Ladd has since had a change of heart because of personal reasons and will remain here in Winnipeg.

"It’s all happened so quick," Ladd told the Free Press Thursday afternoon. "I was talking to (the KHL team) and they kept asking, ‘We need to know…’ and so we did it. But the more we thought about it, the more I decided to change my mind. My wife Brandy is pregnant and I couldn’t really justify leaving her by herself. The more I thought about it, the more I thought I didn’t want to leave.

"I feel bad for the team. They were really good to me and have given me the opportunity to play. At first I thought it was a good chance to play in the best league going right now. But after thinking about it, it wasn’t the right decision. It’s something I went back and forth with for the last couple of days. I wasn’t sure how long that opportunity was going to be out there so I first decided to take it. This now makes more sense."

The baby will be the Ladd’s first.

A number of NHL players, locked out since Sept. 15, have been finding work in the KHL and in pro leagues in Sweden, Finland, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. Ladd would have been the second Canadian-born Jet to head to the KHL after teammate Evander Kane signed with Dinamo Minsk last weekend. Alex Ponikarovsky is with Donbass Donestk while Nik Antropov is playing with Barys Astana.

Ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait

History

Updated on Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 1:48 PM CDT: Updated

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Latest News

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.