Canadian defenseman Nicolas Mattinen, 27, has signed a one-year contract with Adler Mannheim, the DEL club announced on Monday.
It will be Mattinen’s second tour of duty in Germany after spending last season in the AHL.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be wearing the Adler jersey next season,” Mattinen is quoted in a club press release. “It feels great to be returning to Germany. I want to do my part to contribute to what will hopefully be a successful season and am very excited to meet everyone and start working in August.”
“We are grateful that Nicolas has decided to return from North America and join our team,” said Dallas Eakins, Mannheim’s sports manager and head coach. “He’s a proven scorer in the league and brings size and attitude. We look forward to seeing him on the ice in our colors soon.”
A native of Orleans, Ont., Mattinen played junior hockey for the London Knights, Flint Firebirds, Hamilton Bulldogs and Oshawa Generals, winning two OHL titles along the way and was a member of London’s 2015-16 Memorial Cup championship team, although he missed the final tournament with an injury.
The 6-foot-5, 216-pound Mattinen was drafted in the sixth round, 179th overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He went on to play three years for the University of Ottawa, however, before finally turning pro in 2022 at age 24.
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Mattinen played for Villacher EV in 2022-23, winning the ICEHL’s top defenseman award, and then played for the DEL’s Straubing Tigers in 2023-24, where he won the league’s top defenseman and MVP awards. Mattinen signed a contract with Mannheim in the summer of 2024 but exercised an escape clause when he had the chance to sign with Toronto.
Last season, Mattinen played only 22 games for the Toronto Marlies, recording four assists and eight penalty minutes. He has seven points and 12 penalty minutes in 30 career AHL games.
Toronto retains his NHL rights.
Last season, Mannheim finished fourth in the DEL regular season and was swept by eventual champion Eisbären Berlin in the semifinals. In addition to Mattinen, Mannheim also has ex-NHLers Tom Künhackl, John Gilmour, Kristian Reichel and Marc Michaelis under contract for the 2025-26 season.
Kristian Reichel leaves Winnipeg for Adler MannheimKristian Reichel is moving on from the Winnipeg Jets organization where he’s spent the past six seasons, signing a three-year contract with German club Adler Mannheim.