EDMONTON (Alberta) — The Edmonton Oilers Signed Jake Virtanen Two months after the Vancouver forward was found innocent of sexual assault, he signed a professional tryout contract.
In January, Virtanen was arrested in connection with an incident that took place in a Vancouver hotel in September 2017. He was with the Canucks in May 2021 when the allegations surfaced. His contract was then purchased by the team. In July, he was found not guilty.
26-year-old Virtanen played 36 games last season for Spartak Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League. He scored nine goals and added seven assists. Virtanen was the sixth pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. He has scored 55 goals, 45 assists, and 219 penalty minutes during six NHL seasons.
Oilers also announced that a 34-year old defenseman was being fired Jason Demers He had signed a PTO agreement with the team. Demers, from Laval (Quebec), played five KHL hockey games last season. Demers also assisted in five games for Canada in the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
San Jose selected Demers in the seventh round 2008 draft. Over 699 games, Demers has scored 45 goals, 169 assists, and 407 penalties minutes. In 2020-21, he was a part of four assists in 41 games played by the Coyotes.