No Reunion For Red Wings And Pavel Datsyuk

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Photo credit © Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

You can put to bed the possibility of Pavel Datsyuk returning to the Red Wings.

Though he was reportedly interested in a reunion with the only NHL team he ever played for, Datsyuk signed a one-year deal on Wednesday with his hometown club in the KHL, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. 

Pavel Datsyuk @Datsyuk13 signed a one-year deal with his hometown team Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg @IHCAvtomobilist

— KHL (@khl_eng) June 5, 2019

Datsyuk, 40, began his career in Yekaterinburg in 1996-97. He came to the Red Wings as a 23-year-old in 2001-02, the start of a 14-year run of dominance in the NHL. 

He returned to Russia in 2016-17 to be closer to his family, and now it appears his career will end where it began. 

Datsyuk shared a photo of himself pulling on a Avtomobilist jersey, with the caption, "Beloved Yekaterinburg!"

Любимый Екатеринбург! pic.twitter.com/9XlhZi1Fgf

— Pavel Datsyuk (@Datsyuk13) June 5, 2019

Over the last three seasons in the KHL, Datsyuk tallied 111 points in 135 games.