Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Rodion Amirov, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour last season, has joined KHL club HC Salavat Yulaev for a season-opening road trip, the team announced on Friday.
The Maple Leafs announced earlier this year Amirov's tumour was discovered while he was undergoing treatment for an unrelated injury. Amirov underwent treatment in Germany and did not play for the remainder of last season.
“I want to stay positive, and I want people to think positively about me,” he told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman at the time. “There are many other people that have their own sicknesses or illnesses. I want to show by example that I can give people hope.”
Though Amirov joined his club's road trip, it is still unclear when he will return to play. According to the team's Instagram account, he will not be in the lineup when Salavat takes on SKA St. Petersburg on Saturday.
Amirov said last month in a Russian interview he hoped to return to action in November-December.
Amirov, 20, was a first-round pick (15th overall) by the Maple Leafs in the 2020 NHL Draft.
