After just five seasons in the NHL, Matt Gilroy is on his way to Russia.
Gilroy has left the Florida organization to join KHL club Atlant Moscow Oblast, the team announced on Thursday. The move comes on the heels of a season in which Gilroy only made 16 appearances for the Panthers, spending the majority of his time with AHL San Antonio.
The 29-year-old rearguard, who won the Hobey Baker and NCAA championship in 2009 with Boston University, was once a highly sought-after collegiate free agent that inked a two-year, $3.5 million deal with the Rangers right out of school. He was allowed to walk following his stint with the Blueshirts and followed that up with is best season in 2011-12, when he scored 20 points in 67 games while splitting time between Ottawa and Tampa Bay.
From there, though, Gilroy has struggled to stay in an NHL lineup. He had an unsuccessful return to the Rangers last season and was a non-factor in Florida this year.
