Saint Mary's University hockey player Mike Danton, recently named an Academic All-Canadian, practices in Halifax on Tuesday.Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press
Mike Danton's bid to resurrect his professional hockey career is taking him to Europe.
The former NHLer, who played the past two seasons with the Saint Mary's Huskies after serving five years in a U.S. prison for a failed murder-for-hire scheme, announced on his Twitter account Thursday that he had inked a deal with an unnamed Swedish club.
"Just signed my first pro contract in eight years," the 30-year-old tweeted. "I'm off to Sweden for the 2011-2012 season. Thanks to everyone for their support."
Danton couldn't be reached for comment, but Huskies head coach Trevor Stienburg said he received a message from the player about the deal.
"He sent me a text today: "Stieny, I signed in Sweden,'" Stienburg said. "That's all he said to me. I just said, 'Congratulations, buddy,' and that was it.
"I can't support him enough, for sure. He's been all we asked for him here."
Danton recorded three goals and two assists in 28 regular-season games during the 2010-11 campaign and added a pair of goals in five playoff games.
A year earlier, he helped the Huskies win the CIS championship.
Stienburg confirmed last month that the former forward with the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues was pursuing a pro job and wasn't expected back in Halifax.
He had one more year of CIS eligibility remaining but Stienburg said the two met in April and the five-foot-nine, 190-pounder expressed his desire to take another shot at the pro ranks.
"He wanted to desperately try and play and I think he's been quite stressed that he couldn't find a place for a long time, which he wanted," the coach said.
"He's a pretty focused kid. He wants to do it and if he waits a couple more years, it won't be there for him."
Danton, who scored nine times in 87 NHL games with the Blues and Devils from 2000 to 2004, resumed his on-ice career at Saint Mary's in January 2010 while on parole after serving five years for trying to hire a contract killer.
He was an academic all-Canadian this past season.