Milan Michalek is headed home to play hockey. Unfortunately for Senators fans, that home isn’t Ottawa.
The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports Michalek has signed a deal with HC Mountfield of the Czech Extraliga to play during the lockout.
Michalek is the seventh Ottawa player to land overseas during the work stoppage but the first to wind up in the Czech league. Jason Spezza is in Switzerland, Sergei Gonchar and Kaspars Daugavins are in the KHL, Erik Karlsson and Kyle Turris are in Finland, and Erik Condra landed in Germany.
Last season, Michalek scored 35 goals and finished Ottawa’s surprising season with 60 points in 77 games. His goal total was a career high while his point output was his best since his 2006-07 season with San Jose.