Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Avs’ Hishon signs in KHL

Pittsburgh Penguins v Colorado Avalanche

DENVER, CO - MARCH 04: Joey Hishon #38 of the Colorado Avalanche warms up prior to facing the Pittsburgh Penguins at Pepsi Center on March 4, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Joey Hishon, the 17th overall pick at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, has left the Colorado organization to sign overseas with Finnish-based KHL team Jokerit, the club confirmed on Monday.

Hishon, 24, was taken by the Avs in ’10 but was plagued with concussion issues from the start of his time with the organization. He missed the entire 2011-12 campaign for OHL Owen Sound, and had his first professional season cut short (in 2013) when he suffered a second concussion playing for the Avs’ AHL affiliate.

Though he did recover to eventually suit up for Colorado -- appearing in 13 regular-season and three playoff games -- Hishon spent the majority of his career in the American League.

Those early health issues seemed to really set his development back, costing him the opportunity to grown alongside the club’s other draftees from that time (Matt Duchene was Colorado’s first-round pick in 2009; Gabriel Landeskog was the first-rounder in 2011.)

Hishon wasn’t the only NHLer opting to sign with Jokerit on Monday, either. Blueliner Rasmus Rissanen, who appeared in six games for Carolina last season, has also agreed to join the club.