Former NHL 30-Goal Scorer Hits a New Low, Signs in Australia

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated May 28, 2025 1:20 AM ET

David Booth was once a very promising player in the NHL, but now, his career comeback has hit a new low as he has signed in Australia in a market that isn't quite known for hockey.

Back in the 2004 NHL Draft, the Florida Panthers used a second round draft pick on forward David Booth, who went on to have a solid NHL career, one that came to an end in 2017/18.

In that time, the Detroit native played for Florida, Vancouver, Toronto and Detroit, scoring 236 points over 530 games played, but after his NHL career came to an end, he tried to revive it last season by signing in the German Second League.

Now, his return to hockey has seemingly hit a new low, as the 40-year old has announced his newest career move as he has signed with the Melbourne Ice in the Australian Ice Hockey League.

While it may not be the career move one would hope for, at 40-years of age, Booth was clearly never making it back to the NHL, and now he has the opportunity to help grow the game in Australia, somewhere that hockey is clearly catching on in recent times.

Last season in Germany, Booth tallied 9 goals and 14 points in 16 games played, so he can still clearly play at a high level, but with so many opportunities available in Europe, it must be somewhat disappointing to head somewhere that hockey isn't quite huge.

However, for the fans and the league down there, bringing in someone with his experience and credibility certainly isn't a bad move, and hopefully he'll be able to show how good he can still be down in Australia.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: