Canadian defenseman Mark Friedman, 29, has signed a two-year contract to play for Rögle BK, the SHL club announced on Thursday.

“I’m really looking forward to moving to Sweden and playing for Rögle,” said Friedman. “It feels like a perfect time in life to take this step. You always want to go to the team that shows the most interest, which Rögle did.”

“He’s an intense two-way defender who will contribute offensively with his mobility and defensively with his physique,” said Rögle sports director Hampus Sjöström. “He’s a physical player and possesses a strong character that will add a lot of color to the group. A guy who competes hard in practise and games.”

Originally from Toronto, Friedman played three years at Bowling Green University and was chosen in the third round, 86th overall, in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Between 2018 and early 2025, Friedman played 93 NHL regular-season games for the Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks, recording 13 points and 80 penalty minutes. He also played six playoff games with Pittsburgh in 2022, recording one assist.

In February 2025, Friedman was traded from Vancouver to the Nashville Predators for future considerations but finished the season with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL.

Rögle has been one of the SHL’s more successful teams over the past five seasons but is coming off a year where it finished seventh in the regular season and was eliminated in the play-in round. The team also has under contract for 2025-26 former NHLer Fredrik Olofsson.