Report: Huselius to join Swedish Elite League

Veteran NHL forward Kristian Huselius is set to join SEL team AIK, according to Swedish media outlets Dagens Nyheter and Aftonbladet.

(Now THAT’s a sentence.)

Huselius, 35, had been practicing with AIK for a month prior to reaching an agreement — his contractual status was dicey given the current work stoppage and how his time in Columbus ended.

The former Flame and Panther saw his four-year, $19 million deal with the Blue Jackets expire in June. While he enjoyed some success in Ohio — he led the team in assists (40) in 2009-10 and finished third in points (63) — Huselius spent most of his final two seasons on IR, missing 123 games with various ailments.

Then came the bickering.

In August, Huselius accused Columbus of rushing him back from injury, which he said indirectly led to a groin tear that kept him out of the final 55 games of the 2011-12 season:

Here’s what the 33-year-old unrestricted free agent had to say (translated) to Aftonbladet:

“I had not a single practice with the team before coming back (from a torn pectoral). I had one game to get acclimated. Then I went into (the next) NHL game and played 21 minutes. I think they acted wrong against me. My groin broke in the second game. I had not built up muscle mass and was not fit or ready to play.

“Columbus was in a vulnerable position and was out of playoffs. Perhaps it was this situation that made that they wanted to bet everything on one card.”

Huselius actually played 19:27 in his first game back, on Dec. 2 in Edmonton. He only lasted 12:57 of his next outing, in Montreal, during which he suffered the groin injury.

He’s apparently refusing to return the Blue Jackets’ calls this summer, which leads one to believe he won’t be back in Columbus next season if he’s healthy enough to play.

Jackets GM Scott Howson denied the accusations, saying he was “confident Kristian received exceptional medical care” while in Columbus.