Latest news with #DEL
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Blues 2018 First-Rounder Finds New Team In Germany
German winger Dominik Bokk, 25, has signed a two-year contract with Kölner Haie, the DEL club announced on Wednesday. Bokk, a first-round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues in 2018, is returning to the club where he played from age 14 to 17. He spent the past three seasons playing in the DEL for Löwen Frankfurt. 'I'm very excited to be playing for the Sharks starting next season and returning to Cologne after my time here with the youth team,' said Bokk. 'To be able to play for the pro team in front of Die Haie fans at Lanxess Arena fills me with pride. I want to help the team build on the strong performance of last season.' 'Dominik has developed his game further over the past few years and is one of the most well-rounded players in his age group,' said Haie sports director Matthias Baldys. We are very pleased to have him on our roster now," said Haie Sports Director Matthias Baldys. 'He took on a lot of responsibility at a young age in Frankfurt. We want to give him the opportunity to take his next steps.' After his youth seasons in Cologne, Bokk played three and half seasons in Sweden with the Växjö Lakers, Rögle BK and Djurgarden, where he recorded 31 points in 88 SHL regular-season and playoff games. 2026 Olympics will see best German team ever The Germans have had some very good results internationally in recent years, including a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics and another silver at the 2023 IIHF World Championship. They've had some very good young talent to work with but they haven't had a chance to put all of their best players together on one team since the 2010 Winter Olympics. They've improved a lot since then. In fact, it's no stretch to say the 2026 Winter Olympics will feature the greatest German ice hockey team ever assembled. Bokk's NHL rights were traded from St. Louis to the Carolina Hurricanes in September 2019, and went to North America in early 2021 in time for the start of the pandemic-delayed AHL season. He recorded 28 points in 61 games over two seasons with the Chicago Wolves; however, despite being a 25th-overall draft pick, he was never able to crack the Carolina roster. Bokk returned to Germany in February 2022, finishing the season with Eisbären Berlin, who won the DEL championship. Bokk has recorded 122 points in 157 DEL regular-season and playoff games with Berlin and Frankfurt. Kölner Haie finished sixth in the DEL standings last year but made the finals, losing to Berlin. In each of the last two seasons, Kölner Haie has set a new European attendance record. Photo © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Report: Kölner Haie & DEL Set New European Attendance Records; New Records In Czechia & Britain Too The Alliance of European Hockey Clubs published its annual attendance study on Wednesday, ranking 376 clubs across 29 leagues.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lightning sign forward to entry level contract
It was announced on Thursday that the Tampa Bay Lightning signed forward Wojciech Stachowiak to a one-year, entry-level contract. Stachowiak just recently represented Team Germany at the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship, where he led the team with three goals. The 25-year old skated in 52 games in Germany this season with the DEL's ERC Ingolstadt, tallying 10 goals and 30 points along with a plus-15 rating. When the playoffs rolled around, Stachowiak appeared in all 12 games, notching six goals and 11 points—good enough to finish tied for the team lead in postseason scoring. Stachowiak skated 38 games with the USHL's Central Illinois Flying Aces in 2017-18, recording nine goals and 19 points, before joining Michigan State University where he played 40 career games.
The Citizen
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Another funding injection saves Post Office jobs
The post office will receive R381 million via the Ters scheme over the next six months to preserve the jobs of employees. Almost 6 000 South African Post Office (Sapo) jobs will be saved via another funding injection. Sapo and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) agreed on a deal to fund employee salaries while the government works to restore the postal service's fortunes. The agreement between the two government entities will see the return of the Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) used during the 2020 global health pandemic. Protecting Sapo workers The Ters scheme will inject R381 million into the post office over the next six months to assist 5 956 employees. Sapo had been hoping for a R3 billion bailout at the end of 2024 to avoid liquidation, but National Treasury decided against the move. The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) on Sunday announced the implementation of the Ters deal, highlighting it as a crucial part of the post office's stabilisation. 'This is a bold and necessary step to protect workers and restore confidence in our public institutions,' DEL Minister Nomokhosazana Meth. 'The Ters programme is not just a financial mechanism, it is a strategic tool to stabilise employment, support economic recovery, and ensure that no worker is left behind,' the minister explained. The funds due to employees will be sent to Sapo every month, with the post office responsible for auditing and compliance throughout the process. 'Sapo is required to submit regular reports, maintain transparent accounting records, and implement a detailed turnaround strategy as a condition of the funding.' The post office has found formulating a turnaround strategy difficult. In 2023, it entered business rescue with R8.7 billion owed to creditors. Sapo received a R2.4 billion bailout from the government in 2023 shortly before receiving a provisional liquidation order, which was added to another R1 billion funding injection in 2019. Despite the entity's troubles, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the South African Post Office SOC Ltd Amendment Bill late last year. 'The new law enables the post office to serve as a hub for government services and other agency services, and as a digital hub for businesses and communities,' the Presidency stated in December. 'The post office will also be able to serve as a logistics partner to other e-commerce providers – including small enterprises and informal traders – and any future business that the state-owned company may develop to serve users and consumers,' the Presidency added. NOW READ: Union fights liquidation of Sapo while govt says it cannot bail it out
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Toronto Marlies Defender Nicolas Mattinen Signs In Germany
Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images Former Toronto Marlies defenseman Nicolas Mattinen has signed a one-year deal with Adler Mannheim in the DEL, it was announced Monday. Mattinen, a 2016 sixth round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, inked a one-year deal with the club last summer after winning the DEL Player of the Year and Defenseman of the Year in 2023-24. Having only seen 22 games with the Marlies this season, Mattinen finished with four assists. Advertisement Mattinen's impressive 2023-24 campaign saw him suit up for the DEL's Straubing Tigers where he scored 16 goals and added 30 assists for 46 points in 52 regular season games. In a further 12 playoff games, he added one goal and seven points. Before heading to Germany, Mattinen spent one year playing pro in Austria as well as three years of collegiate hockey at the University of Ottawa (U Sports). Mattinen played his junior hockey with the London Knights, Flint Firebirds, Hamilton Bulldogs and the Oshawa Generals. With Mattinen heading back to Germany's top league, he should be able to bring back his major offensive impact that saw him take the league by storm two seasons ago. While his tenure with the Maple Leafs organization did not go as planned, he has proven to be a difference maker and Adler Mannheim must be happy they got his services for 2025-26.
The Citizen
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
How pending labour law amendments will affect you
Public comment on the draft Code of Good Practice on Dismissal is closed and the labour department has begun reviewing submissions. Amendments to sections of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) are in the final stages of government approval. The Department of Employment and Labour (DEI) released the draft Code of Good Practice on Dismissal in January, with the window for public comment having closed in March. The LRA's sections facing amendments are Section 186(2), which covers unfair labour practices, Section 77, which regulates protests, and a repeal of Section 189A (13), which covers retrenchments. Fighting unemployment The process of amending the LRA still needs to be presented to parliament and submitted to cabinet, but the DEL stated on Sunday that it was reviewing the comments, subject to the minister's implementation. The department says the amendments aim to simplify procedural fairness, limit protection during probation periods, and redefine unfair labour practice and retrenchment procedures. Those against the amendments believe they weaken labour protections, but the DEL states they are a 'pragmatic' response to unemployment. '[The amendments] are designed to equip our economy with the tools needed for growth and to provide more South Africans with meaningful employment opportunities,' the DEL stated. 'These changes were developed with the involvement of organised labour and reflect a mutual commitment to addressing the economic crisis confronting millions of unemployed South Africans,' the department added. Potential 'class warfare' The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) has been staunchly opposed to the amendments, stating they tilted power in favour of employers. 'These amendments represent raw class warfare waged by the bosses against workers,' stated Saftu in April. 'The proposed changes represent a thinly veiled attempt to chip away at the labour protections won through heroic struggles and huge sacrifices by the working class,' they added. However, DEL stressed that the amendments would not allow employers to arbitrarily dismiss employees, as the obligation to explore alternatives and provide opportunities for employees to improve still existed. The department noted that urgent court applications made during retrenchment consultations often resulted in disrupted processes due to rushed litigation and undermined meaningful engagement. 'The repeal of section 189A (13) does not remove the right to challenge procedural unfairness but restores balance by allowing such challenges to be brought more effectively after the retrenchment.' The amendment of Section 77 does place limitations on protest action while preserving union rights and the right to engage, 'by providing a more suitable forum and timeline to raise procedural disputes.' Designed to 'improve usability' Sharusha Moodley of Bregman Moodley Attorneys Inc. explained that the draft code was revisited and built upon Schedule 8 of the LRA, with the amendment replacing the existing code. 'The draft code retains much of the spirit and structure of the original code. However, the 2025 revision aims to improve usability,' Moodley said. She stated that enhancements included acknowledging small businesses and their unique operational needs while expanding on the original factors for determining the appropriateness of dismissal in cases of misconduct. 'It now expressly includes the actual or potential impact of the misconduct on the business and the employee's response, including any acknowledgement of wrongdoing and expressed willingness to adhere to rules in future,' Moodley told The Citizen. Other changes alter probation periods to allow employers to assess a new employee's suitability, instead of simply assessing performance. The amendments will include imprisonment or incompatibility in the definition of incapacity, as well as include a section on dismissals for operational requirements. Too early to gauge CCMA effect Moodley explained dismissals for operational requirements were previously absent from the code and governed separately under the LRA. 'It now outlines the principles of substantive and procedural fairness, aligning with section 189 of the LRA and includes a template that should be used when an employer contemplates retrenchment under Section 189(3) of the LRA. '[Additionally], there is expanded guidance on poor performance that certain senior employees may not require formal warnings before dismissals,' Moodley explained. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has been a safety net for disgruntled employees, but Moodley said it was too early to gauge the amendment's effect on the CCMA. 'Employers and HR professionals should begin familiarising themselves with the draft code's provisions and consider how these changes may affect internal policies and procedures. However, it is too soon to assess the impact on the efficiency of the CCMA,' advised Moodley. NOW READ: New employment code aims to address SA unemployment crisis
