Over the summer the New York Islanders signed KHL free agent Jan Kovar to a single year $2 million deal. After failing to impress management during training camp Kovar was loaned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
The Islanders liked who they had in the lineup at the center position, but they didn’t want to let go of Kovar just yet. They wanted to keep him around. They clearly figured he could acclimatize himself to the North American game at the AHL level.
Except, Jan Kovar seemingly had other ideas. He didn’t report to the AHL.