Golden Knights UFA Sakari Manninen Signs In Switzerland
A year ago, center Sakari Manninen was coming off an impressive season in the KHL plus a strong showing at the World Championship, helping him earn a one-year, one-way deal with Vegas with the hopes that he could push for some playing time with the Golden Knights this season. However, that didn’t happen and as a result, he’s heading back overseas as Geneve-Servette of the Swiss NLA announced that they’ve signed Manninen to a one-year deal.
The 31-year-old got a fairly long look with Vegas in the preseason, getting into four games before being one of their final cuts. The expectation was that he’d be back up once injuries arose but others got that opportunity instead. Manninen had a fairly successful season with the Silver Knights, picking up 40 points in 53 games to finish third on Henderson in scoring but somewhat surprisingly, he wasn’t among their list of ‘Black Ace’ recalls once the AHL campaign came to an end.
While Manninen could have waited for NHL free agency in July to see if another team might be interested in giving him an opportunity in North America, he’s instead opting to give the top division in Switzerland a try having already played in the top leagues in Finland, Sweden, and Russia. At his age and with him not getting into a game with Vegas this season, it seems unlikely that Manninen will find himself back on the NHL radar in the future.
Hockey Canada Releases Initial 2023 World Championship Roster
Hockey Canada has released the initial complement of 20 players that will represent their country at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championships next week in Finland.
It’s a more experienced roster than their American counterparts released, at least in terms of current NHL caliber. In net, they’re likely the most well-set team in the tournament, with projected rookie sensation Devon Levi sharing the crease with Montreal Canadien Sam Montembeault, who had a strong season in a tandem role with Jake Allen.
While 2023 presumptive first-overall selection Connor Bedard won’t join the team, likely to avoid risking injuries prier to his rookie season in the NHL, projected second-overall pick Adam Fantilli will. After capturing the Hobey Baker award in what’s likely his only season at the University of Michigan, Fantilli will join seasoned NHL veterans such as Milan Lucic, Scott Laughton, and Tyler Toffoli as Canada goes for gold at the Worlds.
Their defense is highlighted by MacKenzie Weegar. Although he had a tough season in Calgary, he’s not far removed from being a top 20 defender in the world and should make a significant impact at the tournament. Youngsters Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Justin Barron will also get a chance to shine for the Canadians.
The full 20-player roster is as follows:
F Cody Glass
F Jack McBain
F Milan Lucic
F Peyton Krebs
F Scott Laughton
F Jack Quinn
F Jake Neighbours
F Lawson Crouse
F Tyler Toffoli
F Sammy Blais
F Joe Veleno
F Adam Fantilli
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph
D Justin Barron
D MacKenzie Weegar
D Tyler Myers
D Ethan Bear
D Jake Walman
Lucas Wallmark Released From Overseas Contract
NHL veteran Lucas Wallmark was released from his contract with the NL’s ZSC Lions today upon request, the team said in a release announcing multiple roster updates. The move clears the way for Wallmark, 27, to re-join an NHL club in free agency this offseason if he so chooses.
Wallmark was under contract with the Lions through 2025, departing the club after the first season of a three-year agreement. The 2014 fourth-round selection of the Carolina Hurricanes had 37 points in 50 games and led the team with a +22 rating.
He’d spent the past two seasons overseas after five years in the NHL with the Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, and Florida Panthers. Wallmark was an effective defensive presence in the bottom six during his time in the NHL and could still easily crack most rosters in the league today.
Wallmark represented Sweden at the delayed 2020 Winter Olympics, recording five goals in six games. He had a career-high 10 goals and 28 points in 81 games with Carolina in 2018-19, helping them advance to the Eastern Conference Final.
Of note, the Lions also announced in their release that 26-year-old Ludovic Waeber will be signing an NHL contract next season, although it’s unclear with which team. Waeber has some limited experience with the Swiss national team and had been their starter between 2020 and 2022. However, he slipped to a backup role this season behind Czech netminder Šimon Hrubec, posting a .914 save percentage and an 8-9-1 record in 19 games.
Minor Transactions: 04/28/23
It’s another busy day in the hockey world, and the respective seasons of four NHL franchises are on the line tonight. The New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and defending champion Colorado Avalanche are each down in their series hoping to even the playing field and force an all-important Game 7.
Over in Europe, Czechia’s HC Ocelari Trinec captured their fourth-straight Extraliga title in a row. In Sweden, Djurgarden IF kept their dreams of promotion to the SHL alive with a dramatic game-tying goal from Linus Klasen with just two minutes left in regulation. Fredrik Forsberg scored in double overtime to force a Game Seven in their promotion play-off final against MoDo Hockey Ornskoldsvik and erase their 3-1 series deficit. With Djurgarden’s playoff run fueled by starring performances from NHL first-round picks such as Liam Ohgren and Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Game 7 on Sunday will be one to watch.
Teams across the hockey world are seeking to build a team that can create their own signature moments next season, and there have been quite a few transactions as teams attempt to build their rosters for the next campaign. We’ll keep track of those moves here.
- Former NHL journeyman and AHL All-Star Matt Puempel has signed an extension to remain with his club of the last two seasons, the DEL’s Augsburg Panthers. Puempel, 30, was a 2011 first-round pick whose exceptional AHL scoring numbers never quite managed to translate to the NHL. He went to Europe after 2019-20 and began in the SHL with the Malmo Redhawks, but after struggling there he has played the last two years in Augsburg. He scored 55 points in 69 career DEL games.
- Alexander Hellnemo, NHL Central Scouting’s top-ranked European goaltender for the 2023 NHL draft, has departed SHL side Skelleftea AIK to sign a two-year contract with league rival Rogle BK. The 19-year-old went undrafted in his first year of eligibility but now lands at the top of central scouting due to an impressive age-19 season. He earned nine games played with one of the SHL’s best teams and posted a .916 save percentage at the J20 Nationell level. Now, he’ll get an opportunity at Rogle to potentially make a push to play even more in Sweden’s top league.
- Orebro of the SHL have landed a solid player, signing Finnish center Hannes Bjorninen to a two-year deal from Brynas IF, who were relegated to HockeyAllsvenskan. The 27-year-old is a master at the face-off dot, having led Liiga in face-off win percentage three times. He’s a former captain of Liiga’s Lahti Pelicans and has an Olympic gold medal and IIHF World Championship gold and silver medals in his trophy case. He’ll join a squad looking to make an even deeper run for an SHL championship next year after this season reaching the semifinals.
- 2023 draft prospect Bennet Rossmy, Central Scouting’s 126th-ranked European skater, has signed with the DEL’s Dusseldorfer EG, leaving his club of this past season the Berlin Polar Bears. Like Hellnemo, the 19-year-old went undrafted in his first year of eligibility but offers intriguing six-foot-three size. This season’s DEL Rookie of the Year scored four points in 39 games for Berlin, having a personally successful season despite the fact that Berlin themselves disappointed, as they failed to make the playoffs despite winning it all last season.
- 33-year-old Johan Persson will extend his prolific run of goal-scoring at Mora IK in HockeyAllsvenskan for a few more years. Per a team announcement, Persson has signed a two-year contract extension to remain with Mora. Persson helped Timra IK earn promotion to the SHL in 2017-18 and has been a leading goal scorer for the last four seasons for Mora. He’s led HockeyAllsvenskan in goal scoring the past two seasons and has scored 59 goals and 103 points in his last 102 games in Sweden’s second division.
- Tyler Morley, a well-traveled top scorer in multiple European pro leagues is now headed to Switzerland for the first time in his career. Switzerland’s EHC Kloten announced Morley’s signing, giving them an undersized yet deadly Canadian scorer. The 31-year-old scored 16 goals and 45 points in the regular season for the DEL’s Grizzlies Wolfsburg (who fell in the Semifinals to EHC Red Bull Munich) and scored 35 points in 48 games in Liiga the year before, helping Tappara Tampere win a title. Now, he’ll hope to have that same success in the Swiss league, one of the few top European leagues he hasn’t yet skated in.
- After a season as an alternate captain in HockeyAllsvenskan with Sodertalje SK, Johan Ivarsson has earned his place back in the SHL. The 27-year-old has signed with the Malmo Redhawks for next season. The left-shot blueliner played this past season in Sweden’s second division after two seasons in Liiga playing for TPS Turku. This is somewhat of a homecoming for Ivarsson, as he played for the Redhawks as a teenager at lower levels and even helped them achieve promotion to the SHL in 2014-15. With Malmo only narrowly avoiding relegation this season, they bring back a familiar defenseman who should add experience and stability to their back end.
- Former Edmonton Oilers prospect Tyler Vesel is headed back to HockeyAllsvenskan to help Brynas IF earn promotion next season. The 29-year-old 2014 sixth-round pick has become something of a promotion specialist in recent years. He nearly earned IF Bjorkloven promotion in 2020-21, scoring 46 points in 51 games. Last season, he scored 46 points in 52 games and a whopping 21 points in 15 playoff games to earn HV71 Jonkoping promotion back to the SHL. His year in the SHL was less strong, and he finished with just 14 points in 46 games. Now, he’s headed back to his old stomping grounds, Sweden’s second tier of hockey, to give another club the chance to rise to Sweden’s top league.
Martin Frk Inks Two-Year Deal In Switzerland
Earlier this month, we covered reports that talented minor-league forward Martin Frk would head overseas to Switzerland next season. That move is now official, as NL team SC Bern announced the signing of Frk to a two-year contract Monday morning.
The move to Europe comes after Frk’s impressive AHL performance in recent seasons, which no doubt caught the attention of overseas suitors. The 29-year-old forward will now bring his skills and experience to Switzerland‘s premier ice hockey competition, attempting to help SC Bern improve on last season’s eighth-place finish and quarterfinal loss.
Frk, born in Pelhrimov, Czechia, was a second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and has since spent time in the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues organizations. Known for his powerful shot and goal-scoring ability, Frk has consistently hovered around a point per game in the minors and notched back-to-back 30-goal seasons in 2022 and 2023.
SC Bern is one of the most successful clubs in Swiss history, capturing five league championships since 2010 and six consecutive Champions Hockey League appearances from 2015 to 2020. They haven’t advanced in the NL playoffs since winning the championship in 2019, however, and they’ll look to Frk’s electric offense to guide them back to contention.
The two-year contract offers Frk some stability, allowing him to settle into a more high-stakes role in European pro hockey. At this stage of his career, a full-time NHL role seems unlikely despite his enticing game.
Frk finished his 2022-23 campaign with 64 points in 67 games for the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, failing to earn any NHL ice time with the Blues. He joins former NHL skaters Dominik Kahun, Éric Gélinas, Joel Vermin, Julius Honka, Oscar Lindberg, and Sven Baertschi on next year’s Bern roster.
Minor Transactions: 04/21/23
It’s another busy day in the world of hockey, with four NHL first-round Game Threes set to be played. The New York Islanders host the Carolina Hurricanes with the goal of avoiding falling into a 3-0 hole, the Florida Panthers host the Patrice Bergeron-less Boston Bruins in Sunrise, the Minnesota Wild are taking on the Dallas Stars in Filip Gustavsson‘s return to the crease, and the Los Angeles Kings will be looking to hold off the Edmonton Oilers without Blake Lizotte in their lineup.
In Europe, the top Central European professional league with teams in Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, and Italy wrapped up its season today. A late third-period game-winning goal from Nikolaj Meyer pushed EHC Red Bull Salzburg past HC Bolzano Foxes to win the club’s second title in as many years. In Germany, EHC Red Bull Munich took a 3-1 lead in the DEL finals against ERC Ingolstadt, powered by an impressive shutout performance from number-one netminder Mathias Niederberger. In Sweden, former Philadelphia Flyers prospect David Bernhardt‘s overtime winner stunned a sold-out crowd in Stockholm to give MoDo Hockey Ornskoldsvik a 2-1 series lead against Djurgarden in the HockeyAllsvenskan finals, with a place in the SHL on the line.
While all these important games are still being played, teams whose seasons have ended are getting a head start on offseason work. Multiple players have already signed with new teams, inked extensions, or announced departures. We’ll keep track of those moves here.
- A talented Buffalo Sabres prospect might be leaving the organization after just a year in North America. Klaus Zaugg of Swiss news outlet Watson reports that Lukas Rousek could be headed back to Europe, and has been identified by HC Ambri-Piotta as a potential replacement for former Ottawa Senator Filip Chlapik. Rousek, a 2019 sixth-rounder, had an impressive 2022-23 season for the Rochester Americans, scoring 56 points in 70 games. It was a major improvement from the four points in 19 games he posted last season and is more in line with how he played in his native Czechia for HC Sparta Praha. Despite that performance, only got into two NHL games (scoring two points) so he could now be opting for a return to Europe, and his destination could be in Switzerland.
- Recently-relegated SHL side Brynas IF have signed a former Anaheim Ducks prospect for their upcoming promotion push: Jack Kopacka. The 25-year-old signs a one-year contract coming from Kristianstads IK in HockeyAllsvenskan, the league Brynas will now be competing in. This past year was Kopacka’s first playing pro hockey overseas, having spent the past four years before that point in the AHL and ECHL. The 2016 top-1o0 selection scored 27 points in 40 games this season and will help bolster Brynas’ attack after the departure of Dmytro Timashov.
- Former Chicago Blackhawk and longtime Liiga and KHL scorer Petri Kontiola is retiring, according to Jatkoika’s Pasi Jokinen. The 38-year-old has had an illustrious playing career as an overseas pro, compiling a combined 744 points in 1,068 games in the KHL, Liiga, and AHL. Kontiola, who spent the last two seasons in Tampere with Ilves, has taken home quite a few honors over the course of his career: he’s an Olympic Bronze Medal Winner (2014), three-time IIHF World Championship Silver Medalist, and an All-Star in each of the three non-NHL pro leagues he’s played in.
- Former Winnipeg Jets farmhand Kevin Clark is leaving the DEL’s Berlin Polar Bears a year early, having the second year of his contract terminated by mutual agreement. The 35-year-old won the DEL title in his first year in the German capital, and scored 20 goals and 37 points this season. The 2014-15 DEL Player of the Year could now be looking elsewhere to continue his pro career, and would likely be a player of interest to quite a few clubs.
- Breakout SHLer Okar Stahl-Lyrenas is transferring from Rogle BK to HV71, per a team announcement. The 25-year-old Champions Hockey League winner has enjoyed a fast rise over the past three years and seems to have now established himself as a scoring option in Sweden’s top division. He scored 25 goals and 44 points in 2020-21 with Mora IK in HockeyAllsvenskan, earning a spot next season at Rogle. His first year in the SHL last season was uneven (18 points in 47 games) but showed promise, and this season he had a breakout, potting 15 goals and 33 points in 46 games. Now, he joins HV71, a club where his 33 points would have ranked third in team scoring, meaning he may have more to work with than at Rogle where his 33 points ranked second-highest on the team.
- The SHL’s Orebro has announced the signing of defenseman Robin Norell, a former Chicago Blackhawks prospect, from IK Oskarshamn. Norell is an undersized defensive defenseman who has skated in nearly 400 SHL games but produced single-digit points production in all but one season. His career highlights include helping his hometown club, Djurgarden, earn promotion to the SHL in 2013-14 and a 2021-22 season with Oskarshamn where he featured in a run to the SHL semifinals.
- Big six-foot-three blueliner Henry Haase, a veteran of nearly 500 DEL games, will not be returning to his club of the last five years, the Augsburg Panthers. Per a team release, Haase is eyeing a return closer to home, which for him is Berlin. Haase developed into a professional with the Berlin Polar Bears’ junior teams and eventually broke into their first team around 2012, helping them win a DEL title in 2012-13. Haase ended up playing three seasons as a regular in Berlin before signing with Dusseldorf in 2016, and now he could be headed back there just in time for his 30th birthday.
- In terms of players confirmed to be making a return to Berlin, the Polar Bears announced the signing of Blaine Byron, a former Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick who scored 42 points in 43 games in the 2021-22 DEL season. His 14 points in 11 playoff games contributed significantly to Berlin’s 2021-22 title, and after the success of his first overseas pro campaign, he signed with IK Oskarshamn in the SHL. He only managed 12 points in 26 games, though, so despite signing a two-year deal with the Swedish side he’s now headed back to his old stomping grounds to see if he can help lift the Polar Bears back to the DEL championship.
- Five-year college hockey blueliner and former NAHL Defenseman of the Year Eric Gotz has landed his first professional contract. He signed a one-year deal with Krefeld Pinguine, a club in Germany’s DEL2. Gotz scored 15 points in 36 games for Vermont this season and will look to help Krefeld get back to the top division of German hockey, the level they were relegated from last season.
- Former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nicolas Mattinen, a big six-foot-five blueliner, has earned a contract in the DEL after a strong first season in European professional hockey. Mattinen is headed to the DEL’s Augsburg Panthers after a year spent with VSV EC in the ICEHL. He scored 42 points in 46 games and clearly excelled at that level of hockey, paving his way to the new challenge he’ll face next fall in the DEL.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Martin Frk Linked To Swiss League
Martin Frk has consistently been one of the top-scoring threats in the AHL for the better part of the last decade. However, it appears that there’s a chance he’ll be heading elsewhere for next season as Blick’s Stephan Roth reports that the winger could be joining EV Zug in the Swiss NLA for 2023-24. No agreement has been finalized at this time.
The 29-year-old signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Blues last summer, a contract that guaranteed him $560K in total salary which is quite high for an AHL player. However, St. Louis has yet to bring Frk up this season. Instead, he has spent the full campaign with AHL Springfield, notching 30 goals and 34 assists in 64 games, good for tenth in the league in scoring.
Barring a recall in the final week, Frk’s streak of six straight years of seeing NHL action will come to an end. He has 124 appearances at the top level with decent numbers of 20 goals and 21 assists but hasn’t been able to lock down a full-time role. With his role now seemingly set as a high-end minor league scorer, the time might be right for Frk to try something new and see how things fare for him overseas.
Minor Transactions: 04/06/23
Today is another busy day across the hockey world, with 14 NHL games set to be played. Highlights from tonight’s slate include a rivalry showdown between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, a dramatic Pacific Division matchup between the Los Angeles Kings and Jonathan Quick‘s Vegas Golden Knights, and a major contest in Pittsburgh where franchise legend Marc-Andre Fleury has a chance to deal a devastating blow to his former team’s playoff hopes.
In Europe, some similarly major games have already been completed. The Pelicans took a 2-1 lead against Ilves Tampere in the Liiga semifinals thanks to a game-winning goal from former Ottawa Senators prospect Ben Blood, while EHC Red Bull Munchen tied their DEL semifinals against Grizzlys Wolfsburg thanks to a third-period rally. In Sweden, IF Bjorkloven overcame an early goal from Vancouver Canucks first-rounder Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Djurgarden to take a series lead in their chase for promotion to the SHL. As fans everywhere continue to enjoy the great games on offer today, teams in leagues around the world are making roster moves. We’ll keep track of those transactions here.
- Former Carolina Hurricanes 20-goal scorer and 506-game NHL veteran Victor Rask signed a two-year contract with Switzerland’s SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, confirming his transfer from a rival Swiss side, Fribourg-Gotteron HC. Playing alongside multiple former NHLers such as David Desharnais, Janne Kuokkanen, and Reto Berra, Rask had a decent first season in the top tier of Swiss hockey. He scored 26 points in 35 games and last season split time between three clubs, scoring 21 points in the NHL and 10 in the AHL.
- Former Buffalo Sabre Arttu Ruotsalainen signed a two-year deal with Switzerland’s HC Lugano, according to a team announcement. The move confirms his transfer from National League rival EHC Kloten, where he scored 42 points in 52 games. Ruotsalainen, 25, played both 2020-21 and 2021-22 in the Buffalo Sabres organization, compiling 64 points in 70 AHL games and 10 points in 35 NHL games. He joins a Lugano club that lost in the NL quarterfinals and will replace another former NHLer, Brett Connolly, as a go-to offensive producer.
- A few notable players will not be returning to Sweden’s Brynas IF next season, which will take place in HockeyAllsvenskan as the club was relegated for the first time in its history. Some of those notable names include former NHLer Dmytro Timashov (their leading scorer with 33 points in 52 games), former Laval Rocket blueliner David Sklenicka, and Jussi Olkinoura, who played 15 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins this season.
- Colgate University forward and ECAC Champion Colton Young took his first step to professional hockey today, inking an amateur tryout agreement with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits. The 24-year-old is the brother of San Jose Sharks prospect Alex Young, who has emerged as one of the best scorers in his conference. Colton scored 28 points in 40 games this season and had an impressive 32 points in 38 games last year. Also of note is that Young attended the Edmonton Oilers’ 2022 Development Camp.
- Kenneth Johnson, the brother of Stanley Cup Champion and longtime NHL veteran Jack Johnson, was claimed on waivers today by the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears. Johnson signed his first professional contract on March 28th with the Wheeling Nailers and was let go by the team after playing just two games. Now, he’ll get another chance to show what he can do in North America’s third-tier pro league.
- The AHL’s Ontario Reign, the affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, have signed Pennsylvania State University forward Ture Linden to a PTO. Linden made the ECAC’s Second All-Star Team last season as a forward for RPI, scoring 39 points in 44 games. He transferred to the Nittany Lions and had a solid season there, tallying 29 points in 39 games. Now, he’ll get a chance to earn a pro contract for the first time in his career with the Reign.
- After helping his team defeat Brynas and narrowly avoid relegation to HockeyAllsvenskan, Johan Olofsson is headed back to the Malmo Redhawks on a one-year contract extension. The 28-year-old is a veteran of nearly 500 SHL games and has played the last six seasons with the Redhawks. He scored 15 points in 48 games this season and will look to help secure Malmo’s SHL place next season.
Minor Transactions: 04/02/23
It’s another busy day across the hockey world as we reach an important stretch of the NHL season with several teams in the thick of tight playoff races, especially in the Western Conference. The New York Islanders take on the Carolina Hurricanes in what could be a first-round playoff preview, while the Los Angeles Kings take on the Vancouver Canucks in a game that could push L.A. ahead of the Edmonton Oilers in the race for the Pacific Division’s second seed.
In Europe, multiple playoff semifinals are underway, and today Frolunda HC captured a crucial victory against Vaxjo in Sweden, tying the SHL’s semifinals at one game apiece. In Germany, Grizzlys Wolfsburg tied their DEL semifinal against EHC Red Bull Munchen 1-1, while an important third-period tie-breaking goal by former New York Rangers prospect Ty Ronning helped ERC Ingolstadt win 6-3 over Adler Mannheim and tie their side of the DEL semifinals. As fans take in all of the hockey on offer today, teams around the world are making tweaks to their roster or preparing for next season. We’ll keep track of those moves here.
- Stanley Cup champion and former NHL top prospect Brett Connolly is among the players leaving Swiss club HC Lugano, according to a team announcement. Connolly signed in Switzerland over the summer after spending most of last season with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. The Canadian forward, who is still just 30 years old and was a decent NHL goal-scorer as recently as 2019-20, did well in his first year overseas, scoring 12 goals and 38 points in 45 games. He was sandwiched between two other former NHLers, Markus Granlund and Mirco Mueller, in Lugano’s scoring rankings, and he helped his side reach the Swiss playoffs.
- Former Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Philip Samuelsson, the son of two-time Stanley Cup champion Ulf Samuelsson, is among the players announced not to be returning to the DEL’s Fischtown Pinguins. Samuelsson, 31, has 13 NHL games on his resume, the last few coming in 2015-16 with the Arizona Coyotes. Samuelsson played three straight seasons exclusively as an AHLer before heading overseas in 2019-20 to play most of the year in his native Sweden. He split the last three seasons between Leksands IF and IK Oskarshamn in the SHL before signing last summer in the DEL. He scored 31 points in 47 games for Fischtown, helping lead them to a playoff series win over the Nurnburg Ice Tigers.
- 2008 Minnesota Wild first-round pick Tyler Cuma has signed a two-year contract with Austria’s EK Zell am See, a club in the AlpsHL, a league with many second-tier Austrian clubs as well as teams in Italy and Slovenia. The 33-year-old blueliner has played in one career NHL game, which took place in 2011-12 with the Wild. Since then, he spent two more seasons in the AHL before deciding to head to Austria, and has now played nearly 300 games at the highest level of Austrian pro hockey. He’ll be moving down a level with this move after a season spent with Innsbruck HC, where he scored nine points in 43 games.
- Former New York Rangers prospect Andrew Yogan will not continue his career with the IceHL’s Graz99ers, per a team announcement. The 31-year-old has been a star in the ICEHL since leaving North America, with 247 points in 236 career games. Yogan made the choice to leave Austria in 2021 to play with HC Slovan Bratislava in the Slovak league, and the 52 points in 48 games he scored propelled the team to a Slovak Extraliga championship. Yogan split 2022-23 between Slovakia and Austria, scoring 15 points in 16 games for Poprad before transferring and scoring 13 goals and 20 points for Graz.
- Dylan St. Cyr‘s tryout with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins is over, per the team. The 23-year-old former Michigan State Spartan appeared in one game with the Griffins, saving seven shots in relief of Jon Lethemon during a March 31st loss to the Milwaukee Admirals. The son of famous women’s hockey goaltender Manon Rheaume, St. Cyr will now look for his next chance in professional hockey with some valuable first experience under his belt.
- 2013 San Jose Sharks fourth-round pick Fredrik Bergvik will not be returning to HockeyAllsvenskan’s Sodertalje SK for next season. The 28-year-old has been a tandem netminder for the second-tier Swedish side for the past four seasons, spending the last two as the backup for Nikita Tolopilo, who signed with the Canucks on Friday. Bergvik posted 2 shutouts and a 5-2 record in 10 total games played, with a .902 save percentage, and will now hit the open market for the first time in several years.
- Michal Jordan is leaving the Lakers. The former Carolina Hurricanes defenseman is among the players not returning to Switzerland’s SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, per a team announcement. The 32-year-old spent 19 games in Switzerland after transferring there in December. Before that point, he had captained the KHL’s Amur Khabarovsk, playing over 250 games there. Jordan last appeared in the NHL in 2015-16 and will now look elsewhere to continue his pro career.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Minor Transactions: 03/31/23
It’s been a busy day across the hockey world, despite just four NHL games on the schedule. Today’s news cycle featured major headlines such as a season-ending surgery for William Eklund and the announcement of Jonathan Toews‘ return to the Chicago Blackhawks lineup. Over in Europe, some big games have been played, including two contests in the DEL Semifinals in Germany, and the first game of the SHL semifinals: a 6-2 win for Vaxjo over Frolunda. Two thrilling overtime contests were completed in Finland’s Liiga semifinals, including a double-overtime victory by Champions Hockey League winners Tappara Tampere.
As fans across the hockey world enjoy all the action on offer this Friday, teams in both minor leagues and foreign leagues are completing transactions and either making changes for this season or preparing for 2023-24. We’ll keep track of those moves here.
- Earlier this month, we covered reports that former NHL defenseman Juuso Riikola would be headed to Switzerland for next season. Today, those reports were made official as Swiss club SCL Tigers have announced that they have signed Riikola to a one-year contract for 2023-24. Riikola, 29, has 80 career NHL games on his resume and last played in North America last season, when he scored 35 points in 53 games for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. This season Riikola scored 19 points in 42 games as an alternate captain for the SHL’s IK Oskarshamn, helping them reach the first round of the SHL’s playoffs. Now, he’ll continue his pro career with the Tigers, hoping to keep them in Switzerland’s top league after the team just barely avoided relegation this season.
- The Coachella Valley Firebirds, the AHL affiliate of the Seattle Kraken, have signed NCAA free agent Max Andreev to an ATO agreement, one that will become a standard AHL player contract next season. The Cornell University product, 23, has scored 65 points in 77 games over the last three seasons he’s played. He made the ECAC’s Third All-Star team last season and served as an alternate captain this season, helping lead Cornell to an upset victory over the defending national champions the University of Denver. He’ll now join one of the AHL’s top teams with the hope of fashioning a professional career for himself and potentially even earning an NHL contract down the line.
- The AHL’s Iowa Wild have signed CHL free agent defenseman Landon Kosior to an ATO agreement for the rest of this season. Kosior, 20, is an undrafted blueliner who spent his major junior career with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders. Kosior served as an alternate captain for the team this season and scored 63 points in 60 games, his first WHL campaign above the point-per-game threshold. As is generally expected for junior players who gain more experience, Kosior’s numbers took major jumps as he got older, and he went from 23 points in his first season with Prince Albert to the aforementioned 63 this season. With this ATO, Kosior will get his first taste of pro hockey with Iowa, and will likely get to follow along as the team prepares for the Calder Cup playoffs.
- 2022 Anaheim Ducks fifth-round pick Connor Hvidston has been signed to an ATO agreement by the Ducks’ AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. The deal allows Hvidston to dip his toes into the waters of professional hockey now that his WHL season with the Swift Current Broncos is over. Hvidston was one of the youngest prospects available at the 2022 draft, just days from being in the 2023 class. He’s scored 21 goals and 65 points in 59 games this season, which ranks him third in team scoring. Seeing as he’ll have to wait until next September to turn 19, he’s still a ways away from turning pro full-time, but with this ATO agreement, he’ll at least get a firsthand look at what it takes to play professional hockey in the Ducks organization.
- Another Cornell University player has signed his first pro contract: defenseman Sebastien Dirven. The 24-year-old teammate of Andreev signed with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers after playing three seasons with the Big Red. The big six-foot-three, 200-pound blueliner doesn’t have much of an offensive game (just 15 points in 93 career NCAA games) but will add some size and snarl to the Nailers’ blueline as they conclude what has been a difficult 2022-23 season.
- 2016 Carolina Hurricanes draft pick Noah Carroll has signed his first professional contract, landing with the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates. Carroll has spent the last four years with the University of New Brunswick on the Canadian university circuit, playing 59 games there. Before that point, the six-foot-one defenseman played for the Soo Greyhounds and Guelph Storm in the OHL, a major junior career highlighted by a 37-point final season during which he was an alternate captain.
- Cade Borchardt, the captain of one of college hockey’s better programs at Minnesota State, has signed with the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks. The 24-year-old’s production took a hit this season, going from 41 points to 20. But despite that decline in numbers, Borchardt earned the honor of captaining his team and finishes his collegiate career with a respectable 85 points in 121 games. In signing Borchardt, the Mavericks, who currently rank second in the ECHL’s Mountain Division, infuse some energetic young talent to their roster as they continue to grapple for playoff position.
- The ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings have signed two players out of St. Cloud State University: Aidan Spellacy and Brendan Bushy. Spellacy, 24, is a forward who scored 12 points in 35 games this season. He’s served as an alternate captain for St. Cloud State and Robert Morris University, and he also captained his high school team, meaning he could bring some off-ice value to the Wings beyond his on-ice utility. Bushy, 24, is a six-foot-two blueliner who scored 11 points in 41 games this season playing in a top-four role.
- Former Owen Sound Attack star and OHL Champion Cameron Brace is transferring to Germany, per an announcement from his new team, the DEL’s Frankfurt Lions. The 29-year-old has spent the last two seasons in the SHL with IK Oskarshamn, scoring 52 points in 99 games there. Brace earned his shot at the SHL level after a proving himself as a professional in Denmark’s top league, where he scored 110 points in 78 games for Herning Blue Fox. Brace has fashioned himself a solid overseas professional career in the last few years, and now that career will continue in Germany.
- Longtime DEL veteran Max Renner has signed a contract for next season with the Augsburg Panthers. The 31-year-old has nearly 300 DEL games on his resume with most coming with the Straubing Tigers, save for the last two seasons spent with the Bietigheim Steelers. Renner scored nine points in 56 games last season and brings an established veteran presence to the Panthers’ defense corps.
- The ICEHL’s Black Wings Linz have signed forward Nico Feldner to a two-year contract, per a team announcement. Feldner has played the past two seasons entirely with HC Innsbruck, save for a six-game stretch with the EIHL’s Sheffield Steelers in England. Feldner scored 17 points in 43 games for Innsbruck this season and should be counted on to bolster Linz’s forward corps for the next two years as they look to return to the ICEHL’s playoffs next season.
- Matus Spodniak, a top scorer at the NCAA Division-III level with Adrian College, has signed an amateur tryout agreement with the ECHL’s Indy Fuel. The 25-year-old native of Kosice, Slovakia scored 94 points in 60 games across two seasons with Adrian College, and now the Fuel are looking to roll the dice on him to see if he can translate his game to professional hockey. This tryout will represent a significant jump in competition level for Spodniak, and he’ll have a relatively short period of time to make an impression with one of the East Coast league’s top teams.
- Spodniak’s teammate, Ty Enns, also signed an amateur tryout agreement with an ECHL club: the Toledo Walleye. Enns, 24, scored 50 points in 31 games this season and scored a total of 140 points in 106 games at the Division-III level. As mentioned with Spodniak, this jump to the ECHL will be a significant increase in difficulty for Enns, but at the very least it should be encouraging that the ECHL’s third-best team is willing to give him a tryout opportunity.
- The ECHL’s Maine Mariners are another club to dip into the pool of college free agents, signing University of Windsor forward Sean Olson. The 24-year-old scored 40 points in his 54-game career for Windsor, and standing six-foot-three 203 pounds as some size down the middle to the Mariners’ group of pivots.