The Toronto Maple Leafs’ gamble on Petri Kontiola has been a bust.
The Leafs placed the Finnish forward on unconditional waivers Thursday with the purpose of terminating his contract. He did not see any NHL action with the club.
Upon clearing waivers, Kontiola will return to the Kontinental Hockey League, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports, where he had played five seasons before the Leafs signed him to a one-year, $1.1-million deal in the summer.
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Brought in to challenge for a spot among the Leafs’ bottom-six forwards, the 30-year-old Kontiola failed to register a point in 11 games with the AHL Marlies.
The seventh-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks (2004) won a bronze medal while representing his country at the Sochi Olympics and earned a silver at the IIHF World Hockey Championship this past May.
In other Leafs news, Matt Frattin has cleared waivers Thursday and been assigned to the Marlies.
Frattin, 26, has been held pointless in six regular-season games with the Maple Leafs this season.
Frattin played for the Toronto Marlies during both the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
