Latest news with #Extraliga
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Sabres First-Rounder Signs With Sparta Prague
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 Finland Canadian 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.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Peter Mueller Re-Signs With Czech Champs
American forward Peter Mueller, 37, has re-signed to play another season with Kometa Brno, the Czech Extraliga club announced on Tuesday. Mueller was a member of the Kometa team that won the Extraliga title last month, although the team sat 13th out of 14 teams when he signed in October, eight games into the season. Mueller had previously played for the team from 2018 to 2022. 'Peter has never hidden the fact that Brno is his second home,' Kometa sports manager Tomáš Vincour said when Mueller returned there last fall. 'He has a really strong emotional relationship with Kometa and its fans, which played a big role in his return.' Originally from Bloomington, Minn., Mueller starred in junior hockey for the WHL's Everett Silvertips and was chosen eighth overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. However, he never lived up to his potential in the NHL. He recorded 54 points his rookie season in 2008-09, but was never able to reach that total again. In 297 NHL games over six season with the Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers, Mueller scored 63 goals and added 97 assists for 160 points with 98 penalty minutes. Mueller has played in Europe almost continuously since 2013 – he returned to play the 2016-17 season with the AHL's Providence Bruins. Otherwise, in addition to Czechia, his career has taken him to Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and Germany. 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. Internationally, Mueller has represented the USA at two U-18 World Championships (winning gold in 2005), two World Junior Championships and two senior men's World Championships. In his first tour of duty with Kometa, he was the Extraliga MVP in 2018-19 and led the league with 64 points in 2020-21. Last season, he had 36 points in 36 regular season games and then 13 points in 20 playoff games. Mueller's first-period goal in Game 7 of the finals against Dynamo Pardubice turned out to be the series-winner in a 3-0 Kometa victory. In addition to Mueller, Kometa has under contract for 2025-26 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. Radim Zohorna Signs With Swedish Club Czech forward Radim Zohorna, 29, has signed a two-year contract with Färjestad BK, the SHL club announced on Friday.
