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Report: Laich to Swiss league, Semin to Russian Div. 2

Semin Laich

A pair of ex-Washington teammates have decided to take their games to Europe.

The first is Brooks Laich, on his way to Switzerland to sign with the National League A’s Kloten Flyers.

The news was first reported by Swiss/Italian news outlet Ticinoline (with a picture of Troy Brouwer heading the sports section, but I digress...)

In Kloten, Laich will join ex-NHLers Tommi Santala and Micki Dupont and will be coached by former Blackhawks bench boss Alpo Suhonen.

The move means Washington has three players plying their trade abroad: Laich, Alex Ovechkin (KHL), Michal Neuvirth (Czech Extraliga) and a former player, Alex Semin, who on Tuesday announced he’d be playing in the Russian second division -- the VHL -- for Sokol, his hometown team.

More, from RIA Sports:

“I’m proud that the opportunity’s emerged for me to play for my hometown club,” Semin said on the VHL website.

“This club is where my hockey life started and so I’ll feel extremely good to wear a Sokol jersey. I’m happy that my relatives, friends and fans will be able to come to matches I’m playing in.”

According to Puck Daddy’s Dmitry Chesnokov, reports indicate Semin will play for Sokol for free “to give back to the club and the city.”

But hey, it’s not like Semin really needs the money after signing a one-year, $7 million deal with Carolina in late July.