Former Calgary Flames defenceman Ladislav Smid is continuing his career overseas. 

Smid, who was forced to sit out the entire 2016-17 season due to lingering neck issues, has signed with Liberec of the Czech Republic League.

Smid, 31, played 22 games with the Flames in 2015-16, failing to register a point. He has undergone two neck surgeries and suffered multiple concussions in his NHL career which extends 583 games.

Smid told the Calgary Sun in September that he did not plan to retire despite being ruled out for a full season.

“I’d like to be out there,” Smid said. “I want to help the team. But it is what it is. It’s your health. It’s not like I'm retiring. But for this year, I’m going to have to sit out. It’s obviously hard. But it’s not a decision we made overnight. We talked the whole summer. It wasn’t just me deciding it, it was doctors. I heard so many different opinions so we kind of made the decision together.”

Smid spent the season on long-term injured reserve with a cap hit of $3.5 million in the final season of a four-year deal signed with the Edmonton Oilers in 2013.

Smid worked in positions around the organization including in scouting, front-office work and coaching while on LTIR this year.