Dec 26, 2011; Buffalo, NY, USA; Washington Capitals goalie Tomas Vokoun (29) stops a shot by Buffalo Sabres left wing Thomas Vanek (26) during the second period at the First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-US PRESSWIRE

After signing with Pittsburgh this past summer, Thomas Vokoun will be playing hockey with a different team for the first time since leaving the Washington Capitals, and it isn’t even the Penguins.

Thanks to the everlasting lockout, Vokoun is headed to Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic where he has signed to play for his hometown team.  The backup goaltender became the Pittsburgh Penguins’ fourth player to sign with a team outside the NHL, all due to CBA negotiations stalling out as the two sides’ sit in a stalemate.

The decision to play in Europe followed the National Hockey League’s announcement of the Winter Classic’s cancellation.  The 36 year old goalie has two years and $4 million dollars remaining on his contract.

Engelland is only one of Pittsburgh’s many players who, prior to the lockout, stated they would find ‘work’ elsewhere if a work stoppage came to pass.  He is now the third Penguin to migrate for a paycheck and the game of hockey, as Dustin Jeffrey and Evgeni Malkin led the way.

The Florida Panther’s Jack Skille also joined the team this past week.

I’ll stop counting now, but keep your eyes peeled over the next week for a similar post to this.  If I was a gamblin’ man, I’d bet my left ear that this number doubles by the 1st of November.

April 20, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Deryk Engelland (5) is penalized for roughing against Philadelphia Flyers center Danny Briere (48) during the first period in game five of the 2012 Eastern Conference quarterfinals at CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

March 5, 2010; Boston, MA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Dustin Jeffrey (15) raises his arms after slipping the puck past Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas (30) to win the game 3-2 in overtime at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper

When the league officially locked-out the players in September, the possibility of NHL talent competing in various markets around the world became a reality.  It was a foregone conclusion that, once paychecks were lost and games were cancelled, waves of players would leave their home and head towards the best opportunity offered to them.  The destinations have differed greatly from one man to the next, but their motivation has been the same; a need to play the game they love, to hone their skills which would otherwise diminish by a prolonged absence from competitive sport, and to support their families financially.

Well, Dustin Jeffrey, a forward who’s been hampered by injuries since his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins, has flown the coop and headed to the KHL’s Medvescak Zagreb.  The Zagreb Bears(Medvescak) is a team located in Croatia.  Jeffrey has said he will only play until the end of the lockout, and he now joins Malkin as the second Pittsburgh Penguin currently playing overseas.

Looking at the status of CBA negotiations, I can assure you a number of guys on the Pittsburgh roster will depart in the near future.  For now, we can only hope the NHL and NHLPA decide to quit being ignorant and lazy, and provide the necessary effort it will require to iron-out the vast array of issues they disagree on.

Dustin Jeffrey is expected to play for the first time this Friday.