Pats Alumni Hajek & Brooks Sign on Opening Day of NHL Free Agency

Regina, Sask. – Regina Pats alumni Libor Hajek and Adam Brooks reached National Hockey League deals on the NHL’s opening of free agency, Wednesday.

Hajek, 24, agreed to terms on a one-year contract extension worth an average annual value $800,000 with the New York Rangers. The Smrcek, Czechia, product played in 17 games for the Rangers last season, recording one assist, while averaging 13:08 of time on ice. The 6-foot-2, 205 lb. defenceman also skated in five games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League in 2021-22, totaling two assists.

The left-shot defenceman played for the Pats during the back-half of the 2017-18 season, appearing in 25 games (4G-10A-14PTS) following a January 9, 2018 trade that sent him to Regina from the Saskatoon Blades. Since, the former Tampa Bay Lightning 2016 second-round pick (37th overall) has gone onto play 94 games in the NHL with the Rangers (3G-8A).

Brooks, 26, signed a two-year, two-way contract worth an average annual value of $762,500 with the Philadelphia Flyers. The Winnipeg, Man. product split last year with three different NHL clubs, dressing in games with the Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets, scoring three points (2G-1A) in 25 collective games.

The 6-foot, 179 lb. left-shot centre played for the Pats from 2012-2017, scoring 335 points (119G-216A) in 317 games. He has since gone onto play 43 NHL games over four seasons split between the Toronto Maple Leafs, Canadiens, Golden Knights and Jets.

On another note – Regina Pats alumni Sam Steel (2013-2018) is currently an unrestricted free agent after the Anaheim Ducks did not extend a qualifying offer.