Latest news with #LausanneHC
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
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. '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.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
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. '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.' Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement Photo © Robert Edwards-Imagn Images: Erik Brännström playing for the Vancouver Canucks in 2024-25. Connor Hughes Returns To Switzerland, Signs Long-Term Deal 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.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kevin Fiala Added To Swiss Roster
As was expected, Kevin Fiala has been added to the Swiss national team's roster at the IIHF World Championship. The 28-year-old Los Angeles Kings forward's addition had been delayed due to an unspecified family issue. 'We all know Kevin – his commitment to the team and Switzerland is impressive,' said Swiss coach Patrick Fischer. 'He always gives his all for Switzerland and loves to represent our country internationally with great passion. With him, we gain a valuable, creative, and goal-scoring element for our offense.' Fiala has missed Switzerland's first two games of the tournament – an overtime loss to Czechia and a regulation win over Denmark – and it's unclear from the announcement if he's already in Herning. If so, he might be ready for Monday's game against the USA. Switzerland's fourth game is not until Thursday against Germany. Last year in Czechia, Fiala joined the team two games into the tournament following the birth of his daughter and had an immediate impact. He registered 13 points in eight games en route to the silver medal and was voted tournament MVP. Big game for Kevin Fiala after birth of daughter In his first game at the 2024 IIHF World Championship, Kevin Fiala scored his team's only goal in regulation time and again in the shootout as Switzerland defeated host Czechia 2-1 to earn a points split of the same score in what could turn out to be a key game for seeding in Group A. With that, here is the updated Swiss roster: Goaltenders (3): Sandro Aeschlimann (HC Davos), Stéphane Charlin (SCL Tigers), Leonardo Genoni (EV Zug). Defensemen (9): Tim Berni (Genève-Servette HC / Columbus Blue Jackets), Dominik Egli (Frölunda HC, SWE), Michael Fora (HC Davos), Andrea Glauser (Lausanne HC), Sven Jung (HC Davos), Dean Kukan (ZSC Lions), Christian Marti (ZSC Lions), Janis Moser (Tampa Bay Lightning), Jonas Siegenthaler (New Jersey Devils). Forwards (15): Andres Ambühl (HC Davos), Sven Andrighetto (ZSC Lions), Nicolas Baechler (ZSC Lions), Christoph Bertschy (HC Fribourg-Gottéron), Kevin Fiala (Los Angeles Kings), Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils), Grégory Hofmann (EV Zug), Ken Jäger (Lausanne HC), Simon Knak (HC Davos / Nashville Predators), Denis Malgin (ZSC Lions), Timo Meier (New Jersey Devils), Tyler Moy (SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers), Damien Riat (Lausanne HC), Dario Rohrbach (SCL Tigers), Sandro Schmid (HC Fribourg-Gottéron).
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Connor Hughes Returns To Switzerland, Signs Long-Term Deal
Montreal Canadiens goalie Connor Hughes (95) makes a save in front of New Jersey Devils forward Mike Hardman (39) during a pre-season game in September 2024. Photo: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Canadian-Swiss goaltender Connor Hughes, 28, has signed a five-year contract with Lausanne HC, the National League club announced on Tuesday. Last season, Hughes played for the Laval Rocket, the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens. In 29 games, Hughes had a record of 15-12-3 with two shutouts, a 2.58 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage. Hughes, who was born in London, Ont. but played in Switzerland from 2017 until 2024, becoming a naturalized Swiss citizen in the process. As such, he doesn't count against Lausanne's import quota in the National League. In Lausanne, Hughes is expected to team up with French-born Antoine Keller, a 20-year-old Washington Capitals prospect who also counts as a non-import. 'It's essential for us to have a Swiss goaltending duo of national caliber due to the length and intensity of the schedule,' said Lausanne sports director John Fust. 'It's an advantage to be able to count on two talented goaltenders who have proven their consistency and performance at a high level. We'll need depth to play in the National League as well as the Champions Hockey League, two competitions in which we want to be ambitious.' Over seven seasons, Hughes has played 73 National League games with Ambrì-Piotta, Fribourg-Gottéron, Genève-Servette and Lausanne, posting a goals-against average of 2.31, a save percentage of .904 and four shutouts. In 2023-24, just before signing with Montreal, Hughes backstopped Lausanne to Game 7 of the National League finals, where it lost to the ZSC Lions. In addition to Hughes and Keller, Lausanne has under contract for 2025-26 American Austin Czarnik, German Dominik Kahun, and Finns Janne Kuokkanen, and Antti Suomela, Lauri Pajuniemi and Sami Niku. Finnish Former Jets & Habs Prospect Changes Teams in Switzerland Finnish Former Jets & Habs Prospect Changes Teams in Switzerland Finnish defenseman Sami Niku, 28, has signed a two-year contract with Lausanne HC, the National League club announced on Wednesday.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Finnish Former Jets & Habs Prospect Changes Teams in Switzerland
Finnish defenseman Sami Niku, 28, has signed a two-year contract with Lausanne HC, the National League club announced on Wednesday. Niku moves to Lausanne from Kloten, where last season in his first year playing in Switzerland, he contributed 31 points and 36 penalty minutes in 61 regular-season and playoff games. 'Sami Niku has undeniable talent, which we already noticed before his excellent first season in Switzerland,' said Lausanne sports director John Fust. 'With his profile as a complete defender, capable of contributing on offense while playing solid defense, he will strengthen the Lausanne blueline for the next two seasons. We are convinced that he will also bring his international experience to our locker room.' Niku was a seventh-round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2015. He played in North America from 2017 to 2022, playing 67 NHL games with the Jets and Montreal Canadiens, and the rest of the time in the AHL. In 2017-18 with the Manitoba Moose, he won the Eddie Shore Award as best defenseman in the AHL. Finnish d-man Sami Niku signs in Kloten Finnish defenseman Sami Niku, 27, has signed a one-year contract with EHC Kloten, the Swiss club announced on Tuesday. Niku then spent two seasons in the Finnish Liiga with his native JYP club and Ilves Tampere, recording 42 and 49 points, respectively – the latter total led the league among d-men. Internationally, Niku was a member of the Finnish team that won gold at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship on home ice in Helsinki. This past season, Lausanne finished first in the National League regular season and then lost in the finals to the ZSC Lions from Zurich for the second year in a row. Other than Niku, Lausanne has under contract for the 2025-26 season German forward Dominik Kahun, Finnish centers Janne Kuokkanen and Antti Suomela, Finnish New York Rangers prospect Lauri Pajuniemi and French Washington Capitals goaltending prospect Antoine Keller. Lausanne signs trio of Finns: Janne Kuokkanen, Lauri Pajuniemi, Ahti Oksanen Clubs from Switzerland's National League continue to skim many of the top available European-based players and on Monday, it was Lausanne HC's turn. The Swiss club announced the signings of a trio of Finnish forwards: Janne Kuokkanen, Lauri Pajuniemi and Ahti Oksanen.
