The #Oilers signed defenseman Jason Demers and forward Jake Virtanen to professional tryout agreements (PTOs). https://t.co/lm3ZctpYao — Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 19, 2022 The 26-year-old passed Virtanen last season with the KHL’s Spartak Moscow, where he had nine goals and 16 points in 36 games. The sixth overall pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2014 draft, Virtanen was placed on administrative leave by the Canucks on May 1, 2021, following a sexual assault complaint against him. His contract was bought out by the team two months later. He was charged with sexual assault in January 2022 following a Vancouver Police Department investigation into an incident that occurred in September 2017. Virtanen was found not guilty by a jury in July. In 317 career NHL games, the Abbotsford, BC, product has 55 goals and 100 points.
Demers returns to the NHL with the Oilers
Demers also spent time last season in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan and represented Canada at the Winter Olympics, appearing in five games and notching two assists. Had one assist in five KHL games. The 34-year-old last played in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes in the 2020-21 season, when he recorded four assists in 41 games. A seventh-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Demers has 45 goals and 169 assists in 699 career games. Over 12 seasons in the league, Demers has spent time with the Sharks, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and Coyotes.
