LINKOPING, Sweden – Five weeks before the season opener in the Swedish Elitserien, runner-up Linkopings HC made a big roster addition with Czech forward Jan Hlavac.

Hlavac moved back to the NHL last season after three seasons in Europe, in Switzerland, and with his hometown team Sparta Prague.

In 86 games with Tampa Bay and Nashville, he notched 12 goals and 25 assists. However, Nashville's offer was reportedly too low to stay, so the 31-year-old winger left for Linkopings HC.

Hlavac played 447 games (90 goals, 137) in the NHL since his debut with the New York Rangers in 1999. He also represented the Czech Republic in six World Championships winning two gold medals (1999, 2005), silver in 2006 and bronze in 1998. He also won the Czech Extraliga with Sparta Prague last year.

His international career highlightwas came when he scored the OT-goal in 1999 in Lillehammer against Finland, giving the Czechs the World Championship gold.

Hlavac is the second Czech to move from the NHL to Linkoping, following Jaroslav Hlinka (Colorado). In the CHL, he will play against another team from Prague, Slavia, and against the ZSC Lions from Switzerland.