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.

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.

“It feels really good to come to Brynäs,” said Hägg. “I have been in the USA for many years and felt that it was a good time to return home to Sweden. I have had very good conversations with Johan Alcén and the club has clear visions that match mine. In the end, it was an easy decision when we got to that stage. I look forward to getting to work.”

“Robert is a big, solid player who has accumulated a lot of experience and we will benefit greatly from that,” said Alcén, the club’s sports director. “We like his whole aura when he is out on the ice where he does not hesitate to step into the melée. He is a humble and respectful person who really makes his surroundings better and wants to win. He will fit in perfectly with the group.”

Born in Uppsala, Sweden, Hägg developed in the MoDo system and he was rumored to be heading to that club a few months ago; however, MoDo’s relegation to the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan was probably a factor in him deciding to play elsewhere.

Hägg was chosen in the second round, 41st overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2016 and 2025, he played 345 NHL regular-season games for the Flyers, Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights, recording 63 points and 208 penalty minutes. He added three assists in 14 playoff games, all with Philadelphia.

Robert Hägg to Anaheim: “Why did you even sign me at all?”Last month, while he was still considering his options for the 2024-25 season, Robert Hägg gave an interview with a Swedish reporter for Expressen.se where he expressed some of his disappointment with how things worked out in Anaheim.

After being a regular NHLer for six seasons, Hägg only played seven games in the league over the past two seasons. He considered returning to Sweden last summer after a particularly sour experience in Anaheim, which he shared with Swedish media, but decided to give it one more shot with Vegas.

Hägg 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 Hägg, the club’s roster includes ex-NHLers Jakob Silfverberg, Johan Larsson, 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, although Söderström is under contract for another season with Brynäs, it is expected that he might sign with the Chicago Blackhawks – who acquired his NHL rights in the spring.

Photo © Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Victor Soderstrom Wins Borje Salming Trophy As SHL’s Top Defenseman Victor Söderström has been named the top defenseman in the Swedish Hockey League for the 2024-25 season. As a result, he has been awarded the Börje Salming Trophy.

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.

“It’s an honor to get the chance in such a legendary team,” said Ylönen. “I know how much hockey means in Stockholm. I’ve heard that they have the best fans and the loudest arena in the league.”

“This is a really exciting player who has played a number of seasons in North America and a number of games with Montreal,” said Djurgården sports director Niklas Wikegård. “Jesse is only 25 years old and, like the entire club, is in a phase where he wants to get better. We do not see him as a finished product, but as a player who we believe can take his game to the next level with good training and under good leadership.”

Ylönen was born in Scottsdale, Ariz. in 1999 while his father, Juha Ylönen, was a player for the Phoenix Coyotes. He was raised in the Helsinki suburb of Espoo, where he played for the local Blues club, before playing three Liiga seasons for the Lahti Pelicans, recording 57 points in 130 regular-season and playoff games.

Ylönen was chosen in the second round, 58th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2021 and 2024, he played in 111 NHL games for the Habs, recording 29 points and 14 penalty minutes, but spent the majority of the time with the AHL’s Laval Rocket.

Ylönen split the 2024-25 season between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Nashville Predators organizations, but did not play any NHL games with either team.

Ylönen 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.

“Exciting times await Djurgården and I look forward to being a part of it,” said Ylönen.

Photo © David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Djurgarden Pair Leads NHL Central Scouting 2025 Final European Skater Rankings NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft on Tuesday and, among the international skaters, to no one’s surprise, the Djurgården pair of center Anton Frondell and right winger Victor Eklund top the list.

Czech forward Lukáš Rousek, 26, has signed a two-year contract with HV71, the SHL club announced on Tuesday. Rousek had played the last five seasons in North America in the Buffalo Sabres organization.

“It will be a lot of fun and is an exciting challenge,” said Rousek. “I know how high the Swedish Hockey League is and that Jönköping is a hockey-crazy city, and I look forward to being part of HV71.”

“Lukáš’s greatest quality is his passing game,” said HV71 GM Björn Liljander. “He is a real playmaker who sees the game very well and always finds an open space – a player you can use both as a center and a winger.”

Born in the small town of Ostrov but raised in Prague, Rousek turned pro with local club Sparta, recording 90 points in 176 Extraliga regular-season and playoff games. He was somewhat of a late bloomer, never representing Czechia at the U-18 or U-20 levels. 

Buffalo drafted Rousek at age 20 in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2021 and 2025, Rousek played primarily for the AHL’s Rochester Americans but also played 17 NHL games for the Sabres, scoring one goal and adding three assists.

HV71 was SHL champion a recently as 2016-17 but fell on hard times soon after and was relegated. Since returning to the top Swedish league in 2022, the club has not made the playoffs and the last two seasons barely avoided relegation.

Photos © Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Jiří Kulich: “I Immediately Messaged My Family & Friends” After Hearing He Would Play After not playing in the season opener on Friday, 20-year-old Jiří Kulich played his second career NHL game for the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday in Prague.

Slovak forward Tomáš Tatar, 34, has signed a two-year contract in Switzerland with EV Zug, the National League club announced on Tuesday.

“With his enormous experience from almost 1000 NHL games and his game intelligence, he is an important reinforcement for us at center,” said Zug GM Reto Kläy. “In recent years, Tomáš has regularly played on the wing. With us, he will be used as a center.”

Back in early April, Kläy admitted to Swiss media that Tatar was one of the players he planned to pursue this off-season, along with Czech winger Dominik Kubalík. Kubalík signed with Zug a few weeks ago and Kläy emphasized that he will stay on the wing, raising the possibility of him playing together with Tatar on the team’s top line.

The news comes a day after Swedish defenseman Erik Brännström signed a three-year deal with National League rival Lausanne HC.

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.

Tatar was a second-round pick, 60th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in 2009. He immediately went overseas to play in the AHL and has played in North America ever since.

Tatar has 227 goals and 269 assists for 496 points in 977 NHL regular-season games with the Red Wings, Vegas Golden Knights, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken. He also had 13 points in 56 playoff games.

This past season, he had 17 points in 74 games in his second tour of duty with New Jersey.

Dominik Kubalík Finds New Swiss ClubCzech winger Dominik Kubalík, 29, has signed a two-year contract with EV Zug, the National League club announced on Friday.

Internationally, Tatar has represented Slovakia at seven IIHF World Championships and at the 2014 Winter Olympics. He didn’t play for Slovakia at the Worlds this year, but he has stated his desire to play at the 2026 Olympics.

Always one of Switzerland’s big-spending clubs, Zug won back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022 but results have been disappointing since. And Kläy clearly wants to change that.

In addition to Tatar and Kubalík, Zug has under contract for 2025-26 World Championship MVP goalie Leonardo Genoni, defensemen Raphael Díaz and Gabriel Carlsson and forwards Grégory Hofmann and Fabrice Herzog.

Photo © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images: Tomáš Tatar playing for the New Jersey Devils in 2024-25.

Tomáš Tatar “absolutely” wants to play in Milan 2026 OlympicsTomáš Tatar’s first World Championship was in 2012 and he won a silver medal with the Slovak team. This year was his fifth and second as team captain, but the 33-year-old winger is still searching for his second medal. Slovakia’s tournament came to an end on Thursday with a 6-3 quarterfinal loss to Canada.

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

“We are very pleased to welcome Erik Brännström, a player we have been following for some time,” said Lausanne sports director John Fust. “His anticipation, mobility, and ability to contribute offensively make him a modern and complete defender. Our analysis confirms that his experience and versatility will be major assets for our squad.”

Brännström, who had played in North America from 2018 until now, had been rumored to be heading to Switzerland for some time.

Originally from Eksjö, Sweden, Brännström played junior hockey and turned pro with HV71 in nearby Jönköping.

Brännström was a first-round pick, 17th overall, by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 and was moved to the Ottawa Senators in a 2019 multi-player deal that saw Vegas acquire Mark Stone.

From 2019 to 2024, Brännström’s career was fairly stable – mostly playing in the NHL for Ottawa with occasional assignments to the Belleville Senators, the team’s nearby AHL farm team.

However, this past season was quite chaotic for the diminutive, puck-moving defenseman. He signed as a free-agent with the Colorado Avalanche in the summer but was traded to the Vancouver Canucks before the season began. After playing 28 games in Vancouver, he was dealt to the New York Rangers as part of the J.T. Miller trade in late January and then traded again to the Buffalo Sabres just prior to the trade deadline. He did not play an NHL game for either of the latter two teams.

Overall, Brännström has 77 points and 162 penalty minutes in 294 NHL regular-season games.

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

Photo © Robert Edwards-Imagn Images: Erik Brännström playing for the Vancouver Canucks in 2024-25.

Connor Hughes Returns To Switzerland, Signs Long-Term Deal Canadian-Swiss goaltender Connor Hughes, 28, has signed a five-year contract with Lausanne HC, the National League club announced on Tuesday.

Canadian defenseman Mark Pysyk, 33, has signed a one-year contract with Sparta Prague, the Czech Extraliga club announced on Thursday. The former NHLer is coming off a season where he helped SaiPa to the Finnish Liiga finals.

“Last season was my first in Europe and I didn’t know what to expect, but the SaiPa fans were incredible,” said Pysyk. “I know Sparta has a huge arena and a huge and loyal fan base, so I can’t wait to get there and feel the energy, especially when the playoffs come.”

“He is an experienced defenseman with excellent skating and passing,” said Sparta director of hockey operations Tomáš Divíšek. “If not for an unfortunate injury, he might still be a stable NHL defenseman.”

Originally from Sherwood Park, Alta., Pysyk played junior hockey for the hometown Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL and was chosen in the first round, 23rd overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

From 2012 to 2022, Pysyk played 521 NHL regular-season games for the Sabres, Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars, recording 104 points and 152 penalty minutes. He also played four playoff games for Florida in the 2020 Eastern Conference playoff bubble in Toronto.

Former Sabres First-Rounder Signs in FinlandCanadian defenseman Mark Pysyk, 32, has signed a contract to play the remainder of the current season with SaiPa Lappeenranta, the Finnish Liiga club announced on Thursday.

In the summer of 2022, Pysyk signed with the Detroit Red Wings. However, a short time later, he underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles’ tendon and missed the season.

Pysyk spent the 2023-24 season in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Calgary Wranglers, recording four assists in 43 regular-season and playoff games combined. In September 2024, he attended the training camp of the Anaheim Ducks on a PTO.

In November 2024, Pysyk signed to play the remainder of the season with SaiPa in the Finnish Liiga. He recorded 17 points in 56 regular-season and playoff games as SaiPa reached the finals.

Last season, Sparta finished first in the Extraliga regular season but was eliminated in the semifinals by eventual champion Kometa Brno. In addition to Pysyk, the team has under contract for 2025-26 numerous ex-NHLers, including captain Vladimír Sobotka, Michal Kempný, Miikka Salomäki, Filip Chlapík and goaltender Josef Kořenář, whose NHL rights are retained by the Utah Mammoth.

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.

Finnish winger Aku Räty, 23, has signed a two-year contract with his hometown team Kärpät Oulu, the Liiga club announced on Tuesday.

Räty had spent the past two seasons in North America in the systems of the Arizona Coyotes, Utah HC and Chicago Blackhawks.

“Expectations for next season are high,” said Räty. “The team is really good, and with a championship-winning coach on top of that. I hope that as a leading player I can help the team return Kärpät to where it belongs – at the top of the league.”

“It’s great to have Aku back in Oulu,” said club sports director Kimmo Kapanen. “He is a versatile player, grew up with Kärpät and knows what it means to play for this club. We believe he will be a significant part of next season’s team.”

Räty was drafted in the fifth round, 151st overall, by Arizona in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He played with Kärpät, then one season with Ilves Tampere before heading to North America in 2023.

Räty played one NHL game for the Coyotes in 2023-24 but otherwise spent the past two seasons in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners and Rockford IceHogs. On the 2025 trade deadline, Räty’s rights were moved from Utah to Chicago along with the rights to defensemen Victor Söderström – who was playing in Sweden at the time – and Shea Weber – who hadn’t played since 2021 and was unofficially retired – in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2026.

Victor Soderstrom Wins Borje Salming Trophy As SHL’s Top Defenseman Victor Söderström has been named the top defenseman in the Swedish Hockey League for the 2024-25 season. As a result, he has been awarded the Börje Salming Trophy.

Räty’s younger brother Aatu is a center for the Vancouver Canucks.

Kärpät had high expectations for last season but missed the playoffs, causing the club maangement to issue an apology to the fans.

Keeping the puck out of the Kärpät net was a particular issue for the team, and during the course of the season the team acquired, among others, defensemen Dominik Mašin, Marcus Björk and Ville Pokka and goaltender Damian Clara, with limited success. As the transfer deadline approached, native son Jesse Puljuärvi was rumored to be headed there after securing his release from the Pittsburgh Penguins, but he instead signed with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The payroll for 2025-26 seems lower so far – Räty’s one game represents the only NHL experience on the team so far – but the club does have prospects Viljami Marjala (Buffalo Sabres), Janne Peltonen (Chicago) and Visa Vedenpää (Seattle Kraken) under contract.

After Disappointing Season, Kärpät Management Addresses Fans: 'The On-Ice Goal Was Far From Achieved' A perennial powerhouse and seven-time champion in Finland since being promoted to the top-tier Liiga in 2000, this past season was bitterly disappointing for Kärpät Oulu. Despite the high hopes and a high payroll, the team finished 13th in the 16-team league, missing the post-season for the first time since the turn of the Millenium.