After he became a free agent, he signed a contract with the Atlanta Thrashers. He played 3 seasons with the Thrashers and 15 games with the AHL-affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. On September 15, 2003, the Thrashers traded him to the Los Angeles Kings for future considerations. He played 20 games with the Kings' AHL-affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs and was called to play Kings. He missed most of the 2003-04 season because of a finger injury that he suffered in a game against the Phoenix Coyotes on December 31, 2003. He then left North America and signed a contract to play for HC Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga on May 18, 2004. He played 3 seasons with them and played 9 games for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Russian Superleague (RSL) before returning to HC Bílí Tygři Liberec.