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Kris Versteeg and the Calgary Flames have parted ways.

The 32-year-old unrestricted free agent winger and locker-room favourite is off to Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, inking a deal for the 2018-19 season as reported by Sportsnet’s Ryan Leslie on Friday.

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The witty winger from Lethbridge underwent hip surgery in early December after tweaking it during a 6-4 loss in Dallas on Nov. 24. It caused a hip labrum issue on the same hip that prevented the two-time Stanley Cup champion from playing in the Swiss league with SC Bern in 2016-17 (a decision that proved serendipitous as he wound up signing with the Flames after spending the 2016 training camp with the Edmonton Oilers).

Versteeg broke into the NHL in 2007-08 and has played 643 NHL contests with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Florida Panthers, the Blackhawks (again), the Carolina Hurricanes, the Los Angeles Kings and the Flames.