Weekly Recap: Young Prospect Signs NHL Contract

Schroeder

It was a very quiet week this week in the SHL off season with only one signing over the past seven days. Brynäs, who will be returning to the SHL next season, continue to bolster their roster. This week saw them sign American Jordan Schroeder. The 33 year old forward was a first round draft pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2009 NHL entry draft. He spent 10 seasons bouncing between the NHL and AHL with Vancouver, Minnesota and Columbus. All in all he played 165 games in the NHL and 402 games in the AHL over that span. Between 2019 and 2022 he found success in the KHL playing with Torpedo-Nizhny Novgorod and Jokerit. In 146 KHL games he registered 48 goals and 57 assists. 

For the past two seasons he has been playing with SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers in Switzerlands top league where he registered 13 goals and 36 assists in 89 games played. 

He will now get his first taste of Swedish hockey as he has signed on with Brynäs for the coming season. 

- As we have said before, we have been looking for another center and it feels great to be able to add Jordan to the team building. He will complement our center side in a good way and will come in with slightly different qualities than what we have now. It is a capable center with experience from many of the top leagues in the world. He is a valued teammate who knows what it takes to perform at the highest level. I feel very secure with our center side, says sporting director Johan Alcén.

The contract is valid for the coming season and Schroeder is optimistic and excited about the opportunity to play for Brynäs.

- It feels really good to have the opportunity to play in a club with as much history as Brynäs. This step feels absolutely right to me and what Johan (Alcén) and the club presented felt very good. The journey that the club is on and the players that have joined was something very enticing, I'm already looking forward to pulling on the Brynäs jersey, says Schroeder.

Clara

Brynäs also has a connection to the other big story from this past week. Damian Clara was on loan to Brynäs this past season from Färjestad and was more than impressive between the pipes. The young goaltender was a major factor in Brynäs regaining their spot in Swedens top league. The Italian born prospect posted a record of 25-8 in the regular season with a 2.23 GAA, a .913 SV% with 4 shutouts. He was also a major factor in the Hockey Allsvenkan playoffs, going 10-1 with a 1.68 GAA and a .931 SV%.

Clara, 19, became the highest ever drafted Italian born player in last summers NHL entry draft and the very first Italian born goaltender to be drafted to an NHL team. He was drafted 60th overall in the second round by the Anaheim Ducks. He was also named Hockey Allsvenskans top junior player of the year this past season. In fact, he was the first non Swedish player to win the Guldgallret as the leagues most outstanding junior player. All of these accolades did not go unnoticed by Anaheim as they have now signed him to an entry level contract. Although it is not confirmed, it is likely that that Clara will be loaned to Färjestad for the coming season. 

Malmö

The only other news from the week concerns the departure of a pair of Finns from the Redhawks. Both Lauri Pajuniemi and Janne Kuokkanen have left Malmö and have both signed contracts with Lausanne in Switzerland. Both players were with Malmö for just this past season and have elected to move on. 

PETTER ARVIDSON / BILDBYRÅN