Weekly Recap: Off Season Begins

Abbott

After spending the past seven seasons as the General Manager of Rögle, Chriss Abbott was let go midway through this season. After three seasons finishing in the top three Rögle had a disappointing 9th place finish last year and did not have a great first half of the season. However Abbott has now found a new home in the SHL as he has been hired on to be the new GM of HV71. 

- A great honor to be back and I have many good memories from my years in the team and the city. I look forward to being part of this organization again, with all the fans and sponsors who support the team in all situations, says Chris Abbott

Abbott spent the last two years of his playing career with HV71 including wearing the C for his final season. The new contract as GM is valid for the next three seasons. 

Rögle

Abbotts former team has made two new acquisitions this week as they have brought in goalkeeper Arvid Holm and centre Josh Dickinson.

Holm, 25, has spent the past three season in North America playing in the AHL and ECHL but was not able to break in to the NHL. Before his move across the pond he played two seasons as Färjestads starting goalie. 

- A Ljungby guy who is tall and technically educated. He had a couple of successful SHL seasons under his belt before he went over to North America and tried to break into the NHL, says sporting director Hampus Sjöström

Josh Dickinson, 26, Has spent the past two seasons with MoDo including a 16 goal, 16 assist performance this past season. 

- Josh is a big and skilled centre. He is a good distributor and good forward. He is a two-way centre with a really nice character, says Sjöström.

Holms contract is valid for the next three seasons and Dickinson has signed a two year deal. 

CARL SANDIN / BILDBYRÅN

Eriksson

Some players wait their whole lives to play in a league like the SHL and Marcus Eriksson is a perfect example of this. The 38 year old forward (turning 39 in August) will be making his SHL debut in September. Eriksson has spent the vast majority of his career playing with Vita Hästen in Hockey Allsvenskan, but this past season he made a move and joined Södertälje. In 50 games he scored 20 goals and added 39 assists to win the points title. After a career season, he has caught the eye of Skellefteå who have now signed him to a one year contract.

- He has been good in the HockeyAllsvenskan for many years and even though he is 38 years old, he is coming off the best season of his life. With our center side, we know that we will be able to give him a good environment where he can help us with his strengths in the game, where above all his passing game stands out, says Skellefteå's GM Erik Forssell

Rasmussen

Växjö is welcoming back a familiar face next season as Dennis Rasmussen is returning to the Lakers lineup. The 33 year old has played just over three seasons with the club in the past, including helping them win the Swedish title in 2018. However, for the past 6 seasons he has been playing in Swtizerland and Russia. 

- Having Dennis back in the organisation obviously feels very good. We had the privilege of training Dennis in elite hockey, now we get back an experienced, solid player who can benefit his team in all parts of the sport, says Växjö's sporting director Henrik Evertsson.

JONAS LJUNGDAHL / Bildbyrån

Brynäs

Växjö isn't the only one welcoming back a familiar face. Brynäs has signed Oskar Lindblom to a new contract. The 27 year old is a product of the Brynäs system and last played for them in 2017. Since then he has had a successful career in North America with both Philadelphia and San Jose. All in all he has played 337 games in the NHL with 56 goals and 56 assists. 

- He is a player that we all know what capacity he possesses and he knows very well what the club wants and stands for. He is not only a good hockey player, he is also a good person who always does his utmost and makes others better, that is something that we also value very highly, says Brynäs sports manager Johan Alcén.

The contract is valid for the next two season with an option to extend for three more. 

Brynäs also signed a Canadian this week as they have brought in Charles-Édouard D'Astous. The 26 year old defender has spent the past two seasons playing in Finland with KooKoo where he put up impressive numbers from the blue line. This past season he scored 17 goals and 29 assists in 54 games played. 

- We have searched for a back with Charles' profile and he feels incredibly exciting. He has been responsible for two good seasons in the Finnish league and we believe he will be able to become an important part of our backup set in the coming season. He is a great playable defender with a hard shot who also does not back down physically, says Johan Alcén.

The contract is valid through the 2025/26 season. 

Rindell

Leksand has signed Axel Rindell to a new contract. The 24 year old Finn came to Sweden halfway through the 2022/23 season and played the past season and a half with Timrå. 

- Axel has a wonderful offensive streak that will help us a lot. Axel's eye for the game, coolness and courage are some things that stand out. He can start the game from below and be a threat from the blue, especially in the power play, says Leksand's GM Thomas Johansson.

Previous to his time with Timrå, Rindell had a brief appearence in the AHL and ECHL but had played the rest of his career in Finland. The contract is valid for the next two seasons. 

PÄR OLERT / BILDBYRÅN

Puistola

Örebro has recruited a new young prospect this week with a good pedigree. Patrik Puistola, son of two time Swedish Gold winner Pasi Puistola, has signed on for next season. The 23 year old forward will be making his first move outside of his home country of Finland where he has spent the past three seasons with Jukurit. 

- In Patrik, we get a player at a good age who will be able to join and make a difference going forward. Now Patrik has also impressed at international level and it will be exciting to see him in our environment, says Örebro's sports manager Henrik Löwdahl.

Last season Puistola put up impressive numbers scoring 19 goals and 26 assists in 54 games played. He is also currently representing Finland in the World Championship tournament in Czechia. 

Nurmi

Luleå has also recruited a Finnish player this week as they have signed Markus Nurmi. Other than one season in the AHL, the 25 year old forward has spent his entire career in Finland. He played this past season with TPS where he recorded 14 goals and 19 assists.  

- He is a powerful player who is strong on the puck and usually comes out victorious from the edge duels. In addition, he possesses a really good direct shot that we hope to see a lot of in the coming season, says Luleå's GM Thomas Fröberg.

The contract is valid for the coming two seasons. 

Kapanen 

Kimmo Kapanen, sports manager for Timrå has recruited someone he is quite familiar with, his son. 20 year old Oliver Kapanen was a second round pick by Montréal in the 2021 NHL entry draft and has spent his entire career in Finland. He has spent the past two seasons playing with KalPa in Liiga. 

- I am very happy that we are getting a player of Oliver's caliber here in Timrå IK. It is a player I know from the Finnish league and a player I have wanted to train with for a long time, says Timrå's head coach Olli Jokinen.

The contract is valid for the next two seasons. 

NHL Contracts

Two players have signed contracts with NHL clubs this week. 

Joel Nyström, who was drafted by Carolina in 2021, has signed a two year contract with the Hurricanes. However it appears Nyström will be loaned and remain with Färjestad for the coming season. 

Axel Sandin Pellika was the 17th overall pick at last summers NHL entry draft by the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings have signed the young defender to an entry level contract. Although nothing is confirmed as of yet, it is likely that he will be loaned and remain with Skellefteå next season. 

PETTER ARVIDSON / BILDBYRÅN