Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Simon Despres has found his new home.
The Saint-Hyacinthe Bataillon of the Ligue Nord-Americaine de Hockey (LNAH) have announced that they have signed Despres for the 2025-26 season.
Despres spent this past season in the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) with the Glasgow Clan, where he posted six goals, 29 points, and 63 penalty minutes in 52 games. This was after he recorded two goals and 12 points in 44 EIHL games with the Nottingham Panthers in 2023-24. Now, by signing with Saint-Hyacinthe, he will get the chance to continue his career in Quebec.
Despres was selected by the Penguins with the 30th overall pick of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. In 144 games over four seasons with the Penguins from 2011-12 to 2014-15, he recorded five goals, 33 points, 120 penalty minutes, 323 hits, and a plus-27 rating.
Despres' time with the Penguins ended when he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks during the 2014-15 in exchange for Ben Lovejoy. From there, Despres played with the Ducks until the completion of the 2016-17 season. This would be the last year he played at the NHL level.
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