Jesse Puljujärvi is currently playing in the AHL’s Calder Cup finals. On Sunday, he scored an overtime goal in Game 5 keep his Charlotte Checkers alive against the Abbotsford Canucks.

There are still one or two AHL games to go. After that, according to Swiss media outlet Blick, his next stop will be Switzerland. The Blickarticle is behind a paywall, but Finnish newspaper Helsing Sanomathas reported some of its contents, and states that that Puljujärvi has already signed a contract with a Swiss club for next season.

While his exact destination is less clear, the article states that it’s rumored to be HC Lugano. Lugano, which has already signed Connor Carrick and Rasmus Kupari this off-season, is rebuilding its roster after a disappointing season.

When Puljujärvi was waived by the Pittsburgh Penguins in February to terminate his contract “by mutual agreement” ahead of the international transfer deadline, it was widely expected that he’d end up in Europe. Switzerland was one of his rumored destinations at that time, as was Kärpät Oulu, his hometown club in Finland. However, he surprisingly signed with the Florida Panthers instead.

Jesse Puljujarvi Waived By Penguins – Headed Back To Finland? The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed Finnish winger Jesse Puljujärvi on unconditional waivers on Saturday for the purposes of terminating his contract, according to multiple sources.

Puljujärvi only played 31 NHL games this season – 26 with Pittsburgh and five with Florida, scoring four goals and adding six assists. He had 26 points in 26 AHL regular-season games split between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Charlotte, and has 11 points in 17 playoff games through Sunday.

Puljujärvi was chosen fourth overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He has 128 points in 387 career NHL regular-season games, and six points in 27 playoff games.

In June 2023, he underwent double hip surgery and missed half of the following season.

Photo © Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Jesse Puljujärvi: “It’s been a long process, I’m really happy to be here”The last couple of seasons have been an ordeal for Jesse Puljujärvi. He split a rather unproductive 2022-23 campaign between the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes, during which he played in constant pain. Then in June 2023, he underwent double hip surgery. He didn’t return to the ice until January and, after a half-season split between the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the NHL, he’s now playing in his second IIHF World Championship for Finland, and first since 2017.

Canadian forward Nic Petan, 30, has signed a two-year contract with HC Ambrì-Piotta, the National League club announced on Monday.

Petan spent last season in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan, where he recorded 50 points and 30 penalty minutes in 60 regular-season and playoff games. Prior to that, he had spent his entire career in North America.

“I chose Ambrì for the next chapter of my career because not only have I heard great things about the city, the fans, the staff and also the players, but I think it’s gonna be a great fit for me and the style of play that I bring,” Petan said in a social media video. “Coming from an Italian background, the culture and all that comes with it, I think it’s going to be a great fit.”

Born in Delta, BC, Petan played minor hockey for the North Shore Winter Club in North Vancouver and junior hockey for the Portland Winterhawks. In 2012-13, Petan led the WHL in assists, won the CHL top scorer award, helping Portland to a league title and a berth in the Memorial Cup.

In 2013, Petan was chosen in the second round, 43rd overall, by the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL Entry Draft. Between 2015 and 2024, he played 170 NHL games for the Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild, recording 35 points and 46 penalty minutes. He was also briefly in the New York Rangers system.

Another Finnish D-Man Leaves Toronto For Europe Finnish defenseman Topi Niemelä, 23, has signed a one-year contract with the Malmö Redhawks, the SHL club announced on Monday.

At 5’9” and 174 lbs, Petan was undersized by NHL standards and spent most of his time in the AHL.

“I’m a smaller, skilled, competitve forward,” said Petan. “I’m a playmaker but I also love scoring goals. I bring speed, quickness, and a playmaking ability to the game. I do respect the defensive side of the game, so as I’ve gotten older, I like to bring an offensive side but also a defensive side to my game.”

Internationally, Petan played for Canada at the 2014 and 2015 IIHF World Junior Championships, winning a gold in the latter.

Petan’s signing comes days after Ambrì-Piotta signed Chris Tierney, who also played last season in the KHL. In addition to Petan and Tierney, Ambrì-Piotta has under contract for next season former NHLers Tim Heed, Chris DiDomenico and goaltender Gilles Senn.

Photo © Bob Frid-Imagn Images: Nic Petan playing for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2022-23 season. 

Chris Tierney Moves From KHL To SwitzerlandCanadian center Chris Tierney, who turns 31 on July 1, has signed a one-year contract with Ambrì-Piotta, the National League club announced via social media on Friday. The contract is reportedly for one year plus an option.

Finnish defenseman Topi Niemelä, 23, has signed a one-year contract with the Malmö Redhawks, the SHL club announced on Monday.

“Topi is a skilled defenseman who likes to contribute on offense,” said Redhawks GM Oscar Alsenfelt. “He’s really good on the power play, has a sharp first pass and good mobility on the ice. He is already at a high level in many parts of his game, but also has the potential for even more.”

At six feet and 181 lbs, Niemelä spent the past two seasons in the AHL playing in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, but his age, Alsenfelt’s words and the fact that he signed just a one-year contract seem to indicate that the Finnish defenseman views signing in Sweden as a strategic step back in his ultimate goal of reaching the NHL, rather than a permanent return to Europe.

“We have been looking for a defenseman with Topi’s profile and skill set, and he wants to come here because he sees a strong development environment with us,” said Alsenfelt. “He wants to get better and break into the NHL – and we will help him with that.”

Niemelä is the second Finnish defenseman in the Leafs’ organization to head back to Europe this off-season after Roni Hirvonen signed with Finnish club Kärpät Oulu a week ago. 

Leafs Prospect Returns Home To Finland Finnish defenseman Roni Hirvonen, 23, has signed a one-year contract with Kärpät Oulu, the Liiga club announced on Monday.

Coincidentally, Niemelä comes from Oulu in northern Finland and played for that city’s famous Kärpät club from his childhood through his early days as a pro until he was 21. Niemelä was chosen in the third round, 64th overall, by Toronto in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

Niemelä has 64 points and 48 penalty minutes in 177 career Liiga games and 70 points and 65 penalty minutes in 147 career AHL games.

If Niemelä returns to North America, it remains to be seen whether it will be in the Toronto organization or elsewhere. For now, the Leafs retain his NHL rights.

Niemelä joins a Malmö team that finished 10th in the SHL regular season last year and lost in the quarterfinals. The roster so far includes ex-NHLers Janne Kuokkanen, Robin Salo, Fredrik, Händemark and goaltender Marek Langhamer. It also includes prospects Eemil Viro (Detroit Red Wings) and Lauri Pajuniemi (New York Rangers).

Photo © David Kirouac-Imagn Images: Topi Niemelä playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2023 pre-season. 

Ex-NHL D-Man Moves From Czechia To Sweden Czech defenseman Michal Kempný, 34, has signed a one-year contract with Brynäs IF, the Gävle-based SHL club announced on Friday.

Slovak defenseman Branislav Mezei, 44, has signed a one-year contract extension with his hometown club, HK Nitra, to play what will be his 26th season of professional hockey, the Slovak Extraliga club announced on Saturday.

“Throughout (last) season, I had in my mind that it wasn’t the last season,” said Mezei. “So it wasn’t a decision that was made at the end, but throughout the season, depending on how I felt and how much fun I had with my teammates. I was more or less determined during the season to continue.

“I haven’t even had the thought of ending my career yet, but of course, it also depends on the club whether they are still interested in bringing me back,” he continued. “Management said yes, so that also made the decision easier for me.”

Nitra, a city of about 80,000 people located approximately 100 km northeast of Bratislava, is where Mezei was born and raised until age 16, when he went overseas to play junior hockey for the OHL’s Belleville Bulls, who no longer exist.

His junior career included an OHL championship and an appearance in the 1999 Memorial Cup, which also included Roberto Luongo, Francois Beauchemin, Brad Stuart, Nick Boynton, Brian Campbell and teammate Jonathan Cheecho. He also played in that year’s World Junior Championship, where Slovakia won its first-ever IIHF medal – a bronze. His teammates included Ladislav Nagy and Marián Gáborik. Other players in the tournament included Luongo, Brian Gionta, Simon Gagné, Nikolai Antropov and Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

Brett Ritchie Moves From Slovakia To Germany – Nitra Club President Blames Slovak RefsCanadian right winger Brett Ritchie, 31, has been released from his contract with Slovak Extraliga club HK Nitra and has signed to play the remainder of the current season with the Schwenninger Wild Wings, the German DEL club announced on Wednesday.

Mezei was chosen in the first round, 10th overall, by the New York Islanders in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. The Islanders had acquired the pick from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Trevor Linden.

Between 2000 and 2008, Mezei played 527 NHL games for the Islanders and Florida Panthers, recording 24 points and 311 penalty minutes.

Mezei split the 2004-05 lockout season between Oceláři Třinec in the Czech Extraliga and Dukla Trenčín in Slovakia, where his teammates included Radek Bonk, Pavol Demitra, Marián Hossa and Gáborik. Between 2008 and 2014, he played for eight different clubs in the KHL, Czechia and Finland before returning to Nitra in October 2014. He’s remained there ever since.

Highlights since his return to Nitra over a decade ago include national titles in 2016 and 2024. Along the way he mentored young defenseman Šimon Nemec, who now plays for the New Jersey Devils.

“I’m home, I’m playing for my hometown, that’s always extra motivation,” said Mezei. “My son also plays hockey, so I’m glad that I can still be there and I can be a role model for him, so it all came together somehow.”

Photo © Lou Capozzola-Imagn Images: Branislav Mezei playing for the Florida Panthers in the 2005-06 season. 

8th-seeded Nitra improbably wins Slovak titleRather improbably, HK Nitra is the champion of the Slovak Extraliga. After finishing eighth out of 12 teams during the regular season, Nitra barely survived a play-in series against Dukla Trenčín, but then eliminated, in succession first-seeded HK Poprad in the quarterfinals, second-seeded Dukla Michalovce in the semifinals, and then swept third-seeded HK Spišská Nová Ves in the finals.

Czech defenseman Michal Kempný, 34, has signed a one-year contract with Brynäs IF, the Gävle-based SHL club announced on Friday.

“It’s an honor to be part of such a fantastic organization with a proud tradition and passionate fanbase,” said Kempný. “I look forward to meeting everyone in the organization and becoming part of the Brynäs family. I can’t wait to get started.”

“Michal is a player who has won at several different levels in his career,” said Brynäs sports director Johan Alcén. “He has incredible experience and is a guy who is driven by competition and wants to win. We’ve received many great references for Michal and it feels really good and exciting that Michal will play for us.”

Originally from Hodonín in southeastern Czechia, Kempný played junior hockey just across the border in Skalica, Slovakia and then played in the Czech Extraliga for Kometa Brno and Slavia Prague and for one season in the KHL for Avangard Omsk.

Never drafted by an NHL team, Kempný signed as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2016 at age 26. From 2016 to 2022, he played 247 NHL regular-season games for the Hawks and Washington Capitals, recording 63 points and 146 penalty minutes. He also recorded six points in 30 playoff games and was a member of Washington’s 2018 Stanley Cup championship team.

Kempný signed as a free agent with the Seattle Kraken in 2022 but was assigned to the AHL and, after two games, his contract was terminated by mutual agreement. He then signed with Sparta Prague on Oct. 25, 2022, where he spent the following three seasons.

There Will Be A New Czech Champion - Třinec's 5-Year Reign Ended By Sparta After five long years, Oceláři Třinec’s reign as Extraliga champion is over, following the team’s quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Sparta Prague before a sellout crowd of 17,220 at O2 Arena on Monday.

Internationally, Kempný has represented Czechia at five IIHF World Championships, winning a gold medal on home ice in 2024, and at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Kempný joins a Brynäs team that is coming off a season in which it shattered all expectations. Just after being promoted from the HockeyAllsvenskan, Brynäs finished first overall in the regular season and made it to the SHL finals, where it lost to Lulea in six games.

In addition to Kempný, the club’s roster includes ex-NHLers Jakob Silfverberg, Johan Larsson, Robert Hägg, Oskar Lindblom, Christian Djoos, Axel Jonsson-Fjällby, Mattias Norlinder and goaltender Erik Källgren.

Last year’s team included defensemen Charles-Édouard D’Astous and Victor Söderström – however, D’Astous has signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Söderström, whose rights have been traded twice in the past few months, has signed with the Boston Bruins.

Photo © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Robert Hägg Returns To Sweden Swedish defenseman Robert Hägg, 30, has signed a one-year contract with Brynäs IF, the Gävle-based SHL club announced on Wednesday. Hägg is returning to Sweden after spending the past 11 seasons in North America, split between the NHL and AHL in six different organizations.

Czech goaltender Aleš Stezka, 28, has signed a three-year contract with Kometa Brno, the Czech Extraliga club announced on Wednesday.

Stezka had played the last two seasons in North America in the Seattle Kraken organization.

“After the end of the season, my agents and family started discussing what to do next,” said Stezka. “Mr. Zábranský approached me and asked if I would be interested in signing a contract with Kometa. The negotiations were very pleasant, positive, and I have to say that the agreement was great, fast, and fair. I liked the vision for the future. We had talked about it some time ago, but I decided to stay overseas. I am very happy that Mr. Zábranský contacted me again and that I can become part of a club with a great tradition and great fans.”

Originally from Plzeň in Western Bohemia, Stezka played youth hockey in Tremosna and Liberec before playing two years of junior hockey in the USHL with the Sioux Falls Stampede and Chicago Steel. He was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

After playing six pro seasons back home in Czechia, which included 112 Extraliga games for Bílí Tygři Liberec, Piráti Chomutov and HC Vítkovice.

Former NHL Goalie Chris Driedger Signs In KHL Canadian goaltender Chris Driedger, 31, has signed a one-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk, the KHL club announced on Tuesday.

Over the past two seasons, he played one NHL game for the Kraken on Feb. 24, stopping 20 of 23 shots in a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He spent the rest of the time playing in the AHL for the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

He’s coming to a Kometa team that is the reigning Extraliga champion, and has under contract for 2025-26 former teammate Peter Mueller and also 25-year-old defenseman Filip Král, who played two games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2023-24 and whose NHL rights are currently retained by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“It’s clear to me that I’m going to a club that has the highest ambitions, is followed by the media and the pressure is huge from all sides,” said Stezka. “But I’m ready for it. I’ll try to do my best for Kometa. We want to play good hockey, to get results and entertain our fans.”

Photo © Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Kometa Brno Returns To Top Of Czech Extraliga Kometa Brno is once again the champion of the Czech Extraliga, defeating Dynamo Pardubice 3-0 in the seventh and decisive game of the finals on Tuesday night in Pardubice. It was the second series in a row that the team won a seventh game on the road.

Canadian goaltender Chris Driedger, 31, has signed a one-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk, the KHL club announced on Tuesday.

For Driedger, who spent the 2024-25 season in the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets organizations but spent the entire season in the AHL, this will be his first time playing for a team outside North America.

“With the signing of Chris Driedger, we have filled both goalie positions for next season,” said Traktor GM Alexei Volkov, himself a former NHL goaltender. Driedger is slated to share the crease with Sergei Mylnikov Jr., the son of a former NHL and Soviet national team goalie.

Volkov said that Driedger “is in the prime of his goalie career. He’s a large goalie who played decently in the NHL and became a World Championship medalist. Now Chris needs a new challenge, which he will get at Traktor. I’m confident that our organization and coaching staff will help him with a quick adaptation and reach the top level of the KHL.”

Driedger, who hails from Winnipeg, played junior hockey for the WHL’s Tri-City Americans and Calgary Hitmen, was chosen in the third round, 76th overall, by the Ottawa Senators in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Olympic Men’s Hockey Teams Name First Six Players All 12 teams that will compete in the men’s tournament of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy have now announced their rosters.

Between 2014 and 2024, Driedger played 67 NHL regular-season games for the Senators, Panthers and Seattle Kraken, compiling a record of 31-24-5 with a goals-against average of 2.45, a save percentage of .917 and five shutouts. He also played three playoff games for Florida in 2021.

Internationally, Driedger played in six of Canada’s 10 games at the 2022 IIHF World Championship in Finland, backstopping the team to a silver medal.

Driedger, whose NHL rights are for now retained by Winnipeg, joins a Traktor team that includes former NHLers Vladimir Zahkarov and Jordan Gross, as well as prospects Arseni Koromyslov (St. Louis Blues), Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (Toronto Maple Leafs), Matvei Guskov (Minnesota Wild) and Vasili Glotov (Buffalo Sabres).

Photo © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images: Chris Driedger playing for the Seattle Kraken in the 2023-24 season. 

Ex-NHL D-Man Jordan Gross Changes KHL TeamsAmerican 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.

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.