Canadian defenseman Brady Keeper, 29, has signed a one-year contract with the Glasgow Clan, the Scottish-based EIHL club announced on Tuesday.

“Happy to be getting the opportunity to play and I can’t wait to get the games going,” Keeper is quoted in the club’s announcement. “Super excited to see the rink packed and loud.”

A one-time NHLer, injuries have forced Keeper to miss two of the last four seasons completely, limiting him to just 59 competitive games in that time frame.

“Brady is a rugged defensive defenseman who skates well and is highly competitive,” said Glasgow coach Corey Neilson. “He enjoys confrontation, blocking shots and winning. He’s had some unlucky seasons of late with injuries and is excited to get back to playing at a high level.”

Born in Cross Lake, Man., Keeper played junior hockey for the OCN Blizzard of the MJHL and played two years of college hockey for the University of Maine Black Bears.

Undrafted, Keeper signed as a free agent with the Florida Panthers in the spring of 2019 and played one of his three NHL games right away. He spent the following two seasons in the Florida organization, playing in a playoff game in the 2020 Eastern Conference bubble in Toronto and another regular-season game in 2021.

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Keeper signed as a free agent with the Vancouver Canucks but broke two bones in his leg during the pre-season and missed the entire 2021-22 season. He spent the following two seasons with the AHL affiliates of the Canucks and Montreal Canadiens but did not play another NHL game.

Last summer, Keeper signed with HK Poprad of the Slovak Extraliga but he did not appear in any games for the club. In November, the club reportedly stated, “He has a valid contract in Europe with HK Poprad for this season, although he is currently not receiving a salary due to non-fulfillment of the contract. If family reasons finally allow him to come, he is welcome in the team.”

Last season, Glasgow finished seventh in the 10-team EIHL. The club seems determined to improve its standing this season, having already signed Finnish goaltender Sami Aittokallio, a former Colorado Avalanche prospect. The team also has British national team players Robert Lachowicz and Cade Neilson.

Photo © David Kirouac-Imagn Images: Brady Keeper playing for the Montreal Canadiens in the 2023 pre-season. 

Finnish Ex-Avalanche Goalie Signs In Scotland Finnish goaltender Sami Aittokallio, 32, has signed a one-year contract with the Glasgow Clan,