American forward Jimmy Vesey, 32, has signed a two-year contract with Genève-Servette, the National League club announced on Monday.

It’s an interesting move for Vesey, who has played exclusively in the NHL over the past nine seasons. This is his first contract to play in Europe.

“I’m thrilled to be coming to Geneva and starting a new chapter in my career,” said Vesey. “I’ve heard nothing but praise, not only about Switzerland, but also about the city and the organization. It’s great to be part of such a strong team, and I’m excited to see what we can achieve this season and beyond. Our goal is to get back to the top of the league, and I can’t wait to get started.”

“We are very pleased with to have Jimmy on board,” said club sports manager Marc Gautschi. “Thanks to his excellent hockey IQ and his very reliable two-way game, he can be used in all situations and at key moments. In addition, with his immense experience, he will be an important leader in the locker room. We expect him to regain his offensive performance in our league with his passing skills, and his direct and powerful game.”

Born in Boston, Vesey was drafted out of the Eastern Junior Hockey League in the third round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators. However, he never signed with Nashville, instead spending the next four years at Harvard University and then signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers in 2016.

American Ex-NHLer Wins Swiss National League MVPThe Swiss Ice Hockey Federation held its annual awards ceremony for the 2024-25 hockey season on Thursday night in Solothurn.

Since 2016, Vesey has played 626 regular-season games in the NHL with the Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche, recording 194 points and 144 penalty minutes.

It was with the Rangers that he played the majority of his NHL games in two separate tours of duty and notched his five most productive seasons, peaking at 35 points in 2018-19. It’s also with the Rangers that he played all 31 of his playoff games, recording nine points.

In 2024-25, he was limited to 43 games split between the Rangers and Avalanche, netting five goals and two assists.

Markus Granlund signs with Swiss club Genève-ServetteFinnish forward Markus Granlund has signed a contract to play with Swiss club Genève-Servette, the reigning club champion of Europe.

Internationally, Vesey won a gold medal for the USA at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship in Russia and also won a bronze at the 2015 senior men’s World Championship in Czechia.

Vesey joins a Genève-Servette team that won its first-ever national championship in Switzerland in 2023-24 and won the Champions Hockey League in 2024-25, but has missed the playoffs the last two National League seasons. 

In addition to Vesey, Genève-Servette has under contract for 2025-26 former NHLers Jesse Puljujärvi, Markus Granlund, Josh Jooris, Marc-Antoine Pouliot, Taylor Beck and Tim Berni, whose NHL rights are still retained by the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Photo © Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images.

CONFIRMED: Jesse Puljujärvi Signs Multi-Year Contract in Switzerland Finnish winger Jesse Puljujärvi, 27, has signed a two-year contract with Genève-Servette, the National League club announced on Tuesday.