Canadian defenseman Madison Bowey, 30, has signed a one-year contract with the Augsburger Panther, the DEL club announced on Friday.

"During my scouting trip, Madison was one of the players I focused on, said Panther sports director Larry Mitchell. “(Head coach) Bill Peters and I have been working hard on him over the past few weeks. We see Madison as the missing piece of the puzzle for our defense, which we desperately wanted to add to with a tough, right-shooting, two-way defenseman.

“He's a tall, solid player, yet a good skater who can also contribute offensively,” Mitchell continued. “Madison is in the prime of his career and is excited about his new role with the Panther under Coach Peters in the DEL.”

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Bowey played junior hockey for the Kelowna Rockets, where he was part of the team’s 2014-15 WHL championship team and played in that year’s Memorial Cup.

Bowey was chosen in the second round, 53rd overall, by the Washington Capitals in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2015 and 2022, he played 158 NHL regular-season games with the Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks, recording 40 points and 104 penalty minutes.

Former Stars, Sens D-Man Signs In GermanyCanadian defenseman Dillon Heatherington, 30, has signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Munich, the DEL team announced on Monday. This is the first contract to play in Europe for the 6-foot-4, 216-pound rearguard.

Although he did not play in any playoff games, his name is engraved on the Stanley Cup as part of the 2017-18 Capitals, for whom he played 51 regular-season games that season.

Bowie spent the 2022-23 season in the Montreal Canadiens organization, playing the entire season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket. He then spent the 2023-24 season in the KHL, splitting his time with Dinamo Minsk, Traktor Chelyabinsk and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.

Last season, Bowie returned to the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters, the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, recording 18 points in 63 regular-season and playoff games.

Augsburg has never won a DEL title and hasn’t made the playoffs since reaching the semifinals in 2018-19. In the last three seasons, the team has finished last twice and 13th once in the 14-team league.

Photo © Eric Bolte-Imagn Images.

Report: Kölner Haie & DEL Set New European Attendance Records; New Records In Czechia & Britain Too The Alliance of European Hockey Clubs published its annual attendance study on Wednesday, ranking 376 clubs across 29 leagues.