40-Year-Old Ex-Canuck Makes Shocking Comeback By Signing New Contract

Booth, 40, played 134 games for Vancouver between 2011 and 2014 after being traded from the Florida Panthers. Despite playing roughly half the games of most AIHL scoring leaders, he is now seventh in league scoring.

The AIHL permits four 'import' players a game for each club, so it is very much a stage for Australia's elite home-grown players. The country is 35th in the IIHF men's rankings, between Iceland and the United Arab Emirates.

Booth Signed With the Melbourne Ice Back in May

Booth's late-career success in Australia, since he signed with the team in May, is no surprise, given his history of unorthodox career paths and off-ice headlines.

'Massive signing alert! The Melbourne Ice are proud to announce the addition of former NHL 30-goal scorer David Booth to our 2025 AIHL roster!' the team said.'

In the seasons since his last NHL appearance with the Detroit Red Wings in 2018, he has suited up for seven teams in five countries.

His journey has included stops with Dinamo Minsk (KHL, Belarus), Manglerud, Valerenga, and Storhamar (Norway), the Jackson Hole Moose (USA), Eisbaren Regensburg (Germany), and Ferencvarosi TC (Hungary).

'One meeting that we had in Buffalo, [Booth] wasn't there. So we're calling him, and we were like 'Boother, we're having a meeting now, where are you?'' Bieksa recounted on a 2023 Sportsnet broadcast. 'He goes, 'I'm in Ohio, hunting white tail deer.' He was in Ohio, he was a state over, and he was in a tree, hunting deer. Just a bizarre guy. Punctuality was not his priority.'

Long-time Canucks fans may recall Kevin Bieksa calling Booth a 'bizarre guy' in a Hockey Night in Canada profile, a description that definitely fits a player who's still finding new adventures, and scoring at will, at 40.