Minnesotan Kris Humphries, newly cut from the Kardashian klan and on the outside looking in as the NBA season is nearing its delayed Opening Day, is being offered a chance to play professional hockey.

The Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League is offering the 6-foot-9 forward a spot on the roster or in the front office.

"We would welcome Kris Humphries to Syracuse, where unlike Hollywood there are no paparazzi within hundreds of miles and he could reclaim his privacy and self-esteem," Crunch General Manager Vance Lederman said in a statement. "Being from Minnesota, Humphries will surely enjoy the hockey and feel right at home in the cold, gray, dismal weather we experience this time of year in central New York."

Lederman said Sunday that the team is still awaiting Humphries' response to the offer.

The Crunch, an affiliate of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks, said it will allow Humphries use of its elite training facility and provide a certified personal trainer for him as he seeks a spot in the NBA.

Humphries, a star at Hopkins High School who also played for the Minnesota Gophers, ended last season in the NBA with the New Jersey Nets.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482