2025 International Signings Recap: SHL

Weeks into NHL free agency and months into most European leagues’ signing windows, it’s a good time to review the notable action that has seen NHL-experienced players find new homes in other countries. We’re starting with the Swedish Hockey League with signings that have come across the wire in the last two months:

F Kieffer Bellows – one year, Brynas IF: Bellows heads overseas for the first time after playing in four NHL organizations in the last three seasons (link to signing article).

D Gabriel Carlsson – three years, Farjestad BK: The 2015 first-round pick lands some stability in his home country after spending last season with Switzerland’s EV Zug. The physical shutdown lefty last played in the NHL with the Capitals in 2022-23 and only managed 81 career games despite appearing in seven straight seasons, mainly with the Blue Jackets, who drafted him No. 29 overall. He has previous SHL experience with Linköping HC in his teenage years and also played for Växjö Lakers HC in the 2023-24 season, where he scored 26 points with a +18 rating in 45 games.

G Collin Delia – one year, Brynas IF: Delia, 31, served as the Oilers’ fourth-stringer last season and had a .906 SV% in 28 games for AHL Bakersfield (link to signing article).

F Gabriel Fortier – two years, Leksands IF: Fortier was a Group VI unrestricted free agent after playing the last five seasons in the Lightning organization, mostly with AHL Syracuse. The 2018 second-round pick played 11 NHL games across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, scoring once, but didn’t see action in the last two years. His scoring has steadily declined, posting only 19 points in 50 games last year, so it’s not particularly surprising to see him head overseas.

D Mark Friedman – two years, Rogle BK: A solid press box option on NHL rosters for a few years, Friedman was mostly relegated to AHL action last season and will now look for more stability and ice time overseas (link to signing article).

D Robert Hagg – one year, Brynas IF: Hagg spent last season on a two-way deal with the Golden Knights, spending most of the year in the AHL but getting into a pair of NHL contests (link to signing article).

G Magnus Hellberg – three years, Djurgardens IF: Hellberg jumps back to his homeland after spending last season as the Stars’ No. 3 option and starter for AHL Texas, posting a .904 SV% in 41 games (link to signing article).

F Aleksi Heponiemi – two years, HV71: Heponiemi, whose NHL rights are still owned by the Panthers, hasn’t played for them since the 2022-23 campaign (link to signing article).

F Jere Innala – one year, Frolunda HC: Innala’s NHL sample ends after one season with the Avalanche, going pointless in 17 games for them in 2024-25 (link to signing article).

F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby – three years, Brynas IF: Jonsson-Fjallby last played in the NHL with the Jets in 2023-24 and spent all of last season on assignment to AHL Manitoba (link to signing article).

D Michal Kempny – one year, Brynas IF: A member of the Capitals team that won the 2018 Stanley Cup, Kempny has been in Europe since mutually terminating his contract with the Kraken at the beginning of the 2022-23 season. He spent the last three years in his home country with HC Sparta Prague of the Czech Extraliga. Although he was a top point producer early on, he recorded just eight points in 24 games last year. He turns 35 in September and will now look to play a supporting role on the reigning SHL regular season champions.

F Justin Kloos – two years, HV71: It’s a lateral move for the 31-year-old, who’s already spent the last four years in the SHL with Leksand. The speedy but undersized forward has two NHL games to his name, one each with the Wild and Ducks in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns, respectively. He was an undrafted free agent signed by the Wild out of the University of Minnesota in 2017 and was a strong AHL producer for a few years. However, he has been overseas since 2019, also spending one year in Russia with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. He scored 47 goals and 106 points in 177 games with Leksand.

F Janne Kuokkanen – four years, Malmö Redhawks: Kuokkanen, 27, has alternated between Switzerland and Sweden since heading to Europe in 2022, but now lands some stability with Malmö. He registered over a point per game for them previously in the 2023-24 season. The Finnish native made 119 NHL appearances for the Hurricanes and Devils from 2017-22, scoring 14 goals and 46 points with a -26 rating.

F Karson Kuhlman – one year, Rogle BK: Kuhlman has nearly 150 games of NHL experience with the Bruins, Kraken, and Jets. He spent last season in Finland with Lukko, where he put together a 21-25–46 scoring line in 60 games (link to signing article).

D Paul Ladue – one year, Rogle BK: LaDue stays in Sweden’s top flight after spending last season with MoDo, which has been relegated to the HockeyAllsvenskan for 2025-26. The 32-year-old is a veteran of 70 NHL games with the Kings and Islanders from 2016 to 2022. Last year was his first overseas stint after being a consistent farmhand in the Isles’ system for AHL Bridgeport. He scored 17 points with a minus-seven rating in 50 games for MoDo.

D Gustav Lindstrom – five years, Djurgardens IF: The 2017 second-round pick spent last season in the Montreal organization with AHL Laval, recording 11 points and a +18 rating in 42 games (link to signing article).

F Sean Malone – two years, Orebro HK: A longtime Sabres farmhand with two games of NHL experience with them and the Predators, Malone last saw NHL ice with Nashville in 2020-21 and last played in North America for AHL Rochester in 2022-23. The 6’0″ Buffalo native has played in Switzerland for the previous two years, scoring 20 goals and 67 points in 90 National League games for the SCL Tigers.

F Lukas Rousek – two years, HV71: Rousek, 26, did not see NHL ice with the Sabres in 2024-25 after making 17 appearances for them across the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns (link to signing article).

F Joe Snively – one year, Djurgardens IF: Snively, long a top AHL producer, heads over to help the newly-promoted Djurgarden after spending last season on a two-way deal with the Red Wings (link to signing article).

F Jesse Ylonen – two years, Djurgardens IF: Ylonen chose Djurgarden after not getting into any NHL action last season with either the Lightning or Predators, instead recording 35 points in 66 games across their AHL affiliates (link to signing article).