A pair of forwards who have been members of the Zurich Lions back-to-back championships in Switzerland and the team’s Champions Hockey League title this past season have signed contracts with NHL clubs this weekend.

On Saturday, it was 20-year-old Austrian Vinzenz Rohrer, the Montreal Canadiens’ third-round pick in 2022, who signed a three-year entry-level deal with the club. While that deal was fully expected, the following day’s announcement – that 29-year-old Finn Juho Lammikko had signed a one-year contract with the New Jersey Devils – apparently caught Zurich sports director Sven Leuenberger off guard.

“This departure was not planned – as a sports director, you are somewhat powerless in this agreement,” said Leuenberger. “But Juho has earned the chance to return to the NHL with his good play with us, and I understand that he wants to take it. I wish him the best of luck.”

Lammikko had signed a three-year contract extension with Zurich last December, but European contracts typically include escape clauses if the player receives an NHL offer.

Swiss Champs Sign Two Ex-NHLers To Multi-Year Contract ExtensionsThe ZSC Lions have signed two forwards with NHL experience to contract extensions, the Zurich-based National League club announced on Friday. They are 28-year-old Finnish center Juho Lammikko, who has signed for three extra years and 30-year-old Swedish right winger Jesper Frödén, who has added two.

Lammikko’s departure frees up an import spot on Zurich’s roster, and Leuenberger indicated that the club will try to find a replacement. Rohrer, who has played in Switzerland since he was 12, is considered a domestic player in Switzerland.

While it’s his first NHL contract, this will not be Rohrer’s first experience playing on North America, as he played two seasons with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s. Over the past two seasons back in Switzerland, he has recorded 55 points in 132 National League regular-season and playoff games. He has also represented Switzerland in each of the last two IIHF World Championships.

This will be Lammikko’s third tour of duty in North America. Originally a third-round pick of the Florida Panthers in 2014, the 6-foot-3, 203-pound Lammikko has 26 points in 159 NHL regular-season games with Florida and the Vancouver Canucks, mostly in the role of a fourth-line winger. Over the past three seasons, he has 131 points in 176 National League regular-season and playoff games. He has represented Finland in four World Championships, winning two gold medals.

Photo © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports: Juho Lammikko playing for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2021-22 season.

Vinzenz Rohrer on Austrian team, his summer & coming seasonAustrian forward Vinzenz Rohrer was the Montreal Canadiens’ third-round pick in 2022 and is just coming off his first professional season for the ZSC Lions in Switzerland’s National League. After a solid rookie campaign as part of a national championship team, the 19-year-old was selected to play in his first IIHF World Championship in May for an Austrian team that surprised many people and came agonizingly close to reaching the quarterfinals.

American right winger Karson Kuhlman, 29, has signed a one-year contract with Rögle BK, the SHL club announced on Sunday. The signing comes just three days after Rögle announced the signing of former NHL defenseman Mark Friedman.

“Karson brings a lot of experience, including a season in Europe,” said Rögle sports director Hampus Sjöström. “He is a versatile player who can contribute in all forms of play. He is committed and good at finding pucks around the net.”

A graduate of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he captained the team to a national championship in his senior year, Kuhlman was never drafted but signed as a free agent with the Boston Bruins in the spring of 2018.

He then spent the next six seasons shuttling between the NHL and AHL for the Bruins, Seattle Kraken, Winnipeg Jets and New York Islanders. He recorded 30 points in 147 NHL games and four points in 17 playoff games.

Last season, Kuhlman played for Lukko in the Finnish Liiga, where he recorded 49 points in 71 regular-season and playoff games and was named Liiga’s player of the month in December.

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. In addition to Kuhlman and Friedman, the team also has under contract for 2025-26 former NHLer Fredrik Olofsson.

© James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

Former NHL D-Man Mark Friedman Signs Two-Year Deal In Sweden Canadian defenseman Mark Friedman, 29, has signed a two-year contract to play for Rögle BK, the SHL club announced on Thursday.

Czech winger Jakub Vrána, 29, has spent the last decade in North America, mostly in the NHL, but rumors are circulating both in Sweden and in Czechia that Sweden will be the next stop for the free agent.

Prior to heading overseas in 2015, Vrána played for Linköping HC from age 15 to 19, starting with the club’s U-16 team and progressing to the SHL, where he recorded 34 points in 98 games as a teenager.

Swedish website HockeyNews.se claims to have directly asked Linköping HC GM Peter Jakobsson about Vrána.

“There is contact. We’ve had a good relationship over the years,” said Jakobsson.

But while admitting interest, the GM stopped short of saying that a deal is imminent.

“We know what qualities he possesses, but right now it is an uncertain situation,” said Jakobsson.

While he played in Linköping, Vrána was chosen 14th overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals. He established himself as a regular NHLer, recording 52 points in 69 games for Washington in 2019-20, and he regularly represented Czechia at the IIHF World Championships.

However, his career eventually became marred by injuries, declining play and a spell in the NHL’s Player Assistance Program. Over the last four seasons, Vrána has only played in 110 NHL games, recording 49 points. He was also unable to earn a spot on the Czech national team roster last spring, getting cut prior to the 2024 Worlds in Prague.

Overall, Vrána has 223 points in 406 NHL regular season games with the Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators. He also has eight points in 38 playoff games, all with Washington, and was part of the 2018 Stanley Cup championship team.

Photo © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Swedish D-Man Returns Home On Long-Term Contract Swedish defenseman Gustav Lindström, 26, has signed a five-year contract with Djurgården, the Stockholm-based SHL club announced on Thursday.

American defenseman Jordan Gross, 30, has signed a one-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk, the KHL club announced on Friday. Gross played his first season in Europe last season in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk, where he recorded 42 points in 77 regular-season and playoff games.

“In his first KHL season after arriving from overseas, he proved that the increased attention was fully justified – sixth in in scoring among defensemen in the league and an excellent plus/minus are proof of that,” said Traktor GM Alexei Volkov. “Gross has a high hockey IQ, moves the puck well, and is capable of playing both on the boards and in open ice. With his arrival, the Traktor defense gets an established professional, ready to solve serious problems.”

Traktor Chelyabinsk finished first in the KHL’s Eastern Conference last year and was tied for third-best in goals against, so the team does not necessarily have serious defensive problems to solve.

Undrafted upon completing four years at the University of Notre Dame, Gross signed with the Arizona Coyotes late in the 2017-18 season and was immediately assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. Between 2018 and 2014, Gross has spent most of his time in the AHL but has also played 25 NHL games with the Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators.

Traktor’s roster includes veteran ex-New Jersey Devil Vladimir Zakharov and prospects Arseni Koromyslov (St. Louis Blues), Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (Toronto Maple Leafs), Matvei Guskov (Minnesota Wild) and Vasili Glotov (Buffalo Sabres).

Photo © Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Former NHL D-Man Mark Friedman Signs Two-Year Deal In Sweden Canadian defenseman Mark Friedman, 29, has signed a two-year contract to play for Rögle BK, the SHL club announced on Thursday.

Swedish defenseman Gustav Lindström, 26, has signed a five-year contract with Djurgården, the Stockholm-based SHL club announced on Thursday.

“I’m so incredibly happy and proud to have signed for Djurgården,” said Lindström. “I remember when I was younger and watched hockey at Hovet (Djurgården’s home rink) with my friends. Every now and then, we would just look at each other and say, ‘Imagine playing here one day.’ Now that day is here.”

“Gustav is a very exciting player who has experience from international hockey at all levels,” said club sports director Niklas Wikegård. “At the same time, he’s still at an age where we feel that with him, we will have something to build around over time. We are very happy that Gustav has finally found his home in his beloved Djurgården.”

Lindström was picked in the second round, 38th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He played the 2018-19 season in the SHL for Frölunda and then went overseas.

Between 2019 and 2024, Lindström played 174 NHL games for the Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks, recording 35 points and 80 penalty minutes. He returned to the Montreal organization in 2024-25 but spent the entire season in the AHL with the Laval Rocket.

Lindström joins a Djurgården team that just earned a promotion from the HockeyAllsvenskan and is in the process of building a competitive SHL roster. The team will have the consensus top-two ranked European draft prospects in 18-year-olds Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund, as well as veteran center Marcus Krüger, who was a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks, and Finnish right winger Jesse Ylönen, who like Lindström, is also returning from North America.

Photo © Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

Ex-Hab Signs Two-Year Deal In Sweden American-born Finnish right winger Jesse Ylönen, 25, has signed a two-year contract with Djurgården IF, the Stockholm-based SHL club announced on Tuesday.

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.

Canadian forward Chase Pearson, 27, has signed a one-year contract with the Nottingham Panthers, the EIHL club announced on Tuesday.

“I’m excited for the challenge and it’s going to be a new experience for me,” said Pearson. “I’m going to get an education and play hockey at a high level.”

Indeed, what drew Pearson to the club was the Panthers’ partnership with Nottingham Trent University. Pearson previously played and studied for three years at the University of Maine and presumably left without completing his bachelor’s degree. Two of his former Maine teammates, Mitch Fossier and Tim Dougherty, are already under contract with the team.

“I talked to Mitch about coming to Nottingham and he said it’s one of the craziest atmospheres he’s ever played in and the fanbase is behind the team the whole time,” said Pearson. “That’s another big reason for me coming. I want to play in a fun atmosphere in front of fanbase that is passionate about the game.”

“Chase’s pedigree speaks for itself,” said Panthers coach Danny Stewart. “He’s a big center that can play all situations. He’s a great player on both sides of the puck and very difficult to handle for opposing players.”

The son of former NHLer Scott Pearson, Chase was born in Cornwall, Ont. and was drafted in the fifth round, 140th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2019 and 2023, he played primarily for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins but 2021-22 played three NHL games for Detroit, failing to record any points or penalty minutes.

In the past two seasons, Pearson has played in Slovakia for Dukla Michalovce and in Austria for Villacher EV.

Photo © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Finnish Ex-Avalanche Goalie Signs In Scotland Finnish goaltender Sami Aittokallio, 32, has signed a one-year contract with the Glasgow Clan, the Scottish-based EIHL club announced on Thursday.

Canadian left winger Taylor Leier, 31, announced his retirement on Monday via his personal Instagram account and explained is reasons.

“Hockey has been my life, my passion, and my identify for as long as I can remember,” Leier wrote. “My decision hasn’t been easy, but after undergoing a second shoulder surgery to repair a fracture sustained last season, I was diagnosed with degenerative changes in the joint.”

Originally from Saskatoon, Sask., Heise played junior hockey for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks and played parts of three NHL seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers before spending the last five seasons of his career in Europe – in Czechia with Oceláři Třinec, in Germany with Adler Mannheim and the Straubing Tigers and in Sweden with Linkoping HC. He finished his career in 2024-25, where he played a total of three seasons in two separate tours of duty.

Leier was chosen in the fourth round, 117th overall, by Philadelphia in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2015 and 2018, he played 55 NHL games for the Flyers, scoring two goals and adding five assists and 10 penalty minutes. He spent the majorithy of that time in the AHL with the Leigh Valley Phantoms.

Midway through the 2018-19 season, Leier was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Justin Bailey, and played the next season and a half with the Rochester Americans before heading to Europe in 2021.

Photo © Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Finnish forward Rasmus Kupari, 25, has signed a two-year contract with HC Lugano, the National League club announced on Tuesday.

“I think Lugano is the ideal place to take the next step in my career,” Kupari is quoted. “I want to be a leader on and off the ice and bring my game to the entire rink, both defensively and offensively. I think my most important skill is skating.”

“Rasmus has played his last five seasons in the NHL and AHL,” said Lugano GM Janick Steinmann. “He’s a first-line forward, a good skater with important attributes in every area of ​​the rink. In North America, he has often been assigned more defensive roles, but with us, he will be able to assert his skills as more of a two-way player. I am convinced that he will adapt very well to the National League and have a strong impact offensively. I am extremely happy to have him with us in Lugano and to be able to observe all his potential.”

Kupari hails from Kotka, Finland, and turned pro with the Kärpät club in Oulu at age 17. He recorded 52 points in 104 Liiga regular-season and playoff games.

Kupari was picked 20th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Despite this, he never played more than 66 NHL games in a season or recorded more than 15 points. Between 2020 and 2025, Kupari played in 217 regular-season games, scoring 14 goals and adding 24 assists for 38 points with 52 penalty minutes for the Kings and Winnipeg Jets. He also played 11 playoff games for Los Angeles, where he was held without a point.

Internationally, Kupari played in three IIHF World Junior Championships, playing a large part in Finland’s gold-medal win in 2019 with five points in seven games and scoring the winning goal in the final, but getting injured in the first game of the 2020 tournament.

Kupari joins a Lugano team that is trying to rebuild its roster after missing the playoffs last season.

Photo © Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

Lugano Dismisses Coach Krupp And Several Noteworthy Players Just days after the team saved its position in Switzerland’s National League by defeating HC Ajoie in a playout series, HC Lugano parted ways with head coach Uwe Krupp and several notable players, including goaltender Adam Húska, defenseman Valtteri Pulli, and forwards Mark Arcobello, Daniel Carr, Radim Zohorna and Aleksi Peltonen.

Canadian forward Drake Caggiula, who turns 31 on June 20, has signed a one-year contract with Lausanne HC, the National League club announced on Monday.

“We are very pleased to welcome Drake to Lausanne,” said club sports director John Fust. “He is an experienced player with a solid track record in North America. Beyond his offensive skills and intensity on the ice, he will bring true leadership to the locker room.”

Caggiula, who hails from Pickering, Ont and played four seasons for the University of North Dakota, was never drafted by an NHL team and signed as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers in 2016.

Between 2016 and 2025, Caggiula played 289 NHL regular-season games with the Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, recording 92 points and 141 penalty minutes. He also played 21 playoff games with Edmonton and Chicago, registering six points and 27 penalty minutes.

Last season, he played seven NHL games in his second tour of duty with Edmonton and spent the rest of the season with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.

Danish Ex-Oiler Signs In Germany Danish forward Patrick Russell, 32, has signed a contract to play with Kölner Haie, the DEL club announced on Friday. Terms of the agreement were not specified.

This is Caggiula’s first tour of duty in Europe. He joins a Lausanne team that has been one of Switzerland’s best the past few years and wants to win a title this year under reigning coach of the year Geoff Ward. Last season the team finished first in the regular season and has lost in the finals each of the past two seasons to the ZSC Lions.

In addition to Caggiula, Lausanne has under contract for 2025-26 goaltenders Connor Hughes and Antoine Keller, as well as Swedish defenseman Erik Brännström, American Austin Czarnik, German Dominik Kahun, and Finns Janne Kuokkanen, and Antti Suomela, Lauri Pajuniemi and Sami Niku.

Photo © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images: Drake Caggiula playing for the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 pre-season.

Erik Brännström Signs Multi-Year Deal In Switzerland Swedish defenseman Erik Brännström, 25, has signed a three-year contract with Lausanne HC, the National League club announced on Monday.