Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Veteran forward Ilya Kovalchuk left the Los Angeles Kings and was placed on waivers Monday after a mutually disappointing 81-game stint with the last-place club.
The Kings made the move ''for the purpose of terminating his contract with the club,'' they said in a statement.
The 36-year-old Kovalchuk hasn't played for Los Angeles since Nov. 9. Kovalchuk went on waivers one day after he received a $2.65 million bonus, which leaves his remaining salary for the season at the league-minimum $700,000.
Kovalchuk's decision to officially leave the Kings should speed up the process of severing ties between the Russian star and the struggling team that seemed to regret signing him shortly after the deal was reached last year.