Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defenseman Xavier Ouellet is set to ink a deal in Belarus.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defenseman Xavier Ouellet has reached an agreement to join Dinamo Minsk, a Belarus-based team that participates in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The pending move was announced by the team in a statement released on Monday.
Aged 30, Ouellet spent the last two seasons as part of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization under an NHL contract, but he never received a call-up to the NHL roster during that period. Initially signed to a two-way contract by former Penguins general manager Ron Hextall in July 2022, Ouellet carried a salary cap hit of $762,500.
Hailing from France, Ouellet, a left-handed defenseman, held the role of alternate captain with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the past two seasons. In the 2022-23 season, he earned a selection to the American Hockey League’s (AHL) All-Star Classic, although he was unable to participate due to an undisclosed injury. During the 2023-24 season, Ouellet contributed in 63 games, tallying 25 points with two goals and 23 assists.
Regarding his NHL status, Ouellet is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He is among 16 players currently under NHL contracts with the Pittsburgh Penguins who are slated to enter free agency during the upcoming offseason.
