KalPa Kuopio were the biggest shoppers this past week, adding a couple of forwards who will try to fit into the team's up-tempo style.
CHL News
KalPa Kuopio are looking to improve their roster for the coming season, adding a couple of forwards at the expense of Finnish CHL opponents. Patrick Davis is on his way to Kuopio from Karpat Oulu, and Sami Blomqvist from IFK Helsinki. Both players played in the CHL last season, and look forward to fitting into KalPa's style of play.
“I'm looking forward to joining the team and to a a new opportunity,” said Davis, 28. “I like KalPa's style of play, and the team will also be good for next season. They were a difficult team to play against, but it was always a great game to watch. It's great that I can now join the team and I get to play that style myself.”
Blomqvist, 25, had similar thoughts. “The way KalPa plays is difficult to play against – with the players and the puck moving so much, it's difficult to defend against. Of course I'd rather play with KalPa than against them.”
Finnish champions and CHL semi-finalists Karpat won't like losing Davis, but right now it seems their bigger concern is on defence, where they've added Atte Pentikainen to get . . . bigger. The 32-year-old Pentikainen is an imposing figure at 197 cm and 105 kg.
“We needed to add a defenceman now that (Ville) Saarijarvi will probably continue to play in North America,” said sports director Harri Aho.
Meanwhile American centre Cory Quirk, who played the last two seasons in Denmark for SonderjyskE Vojens but transferred to Germany after the season, has now transferred back to the Danish champs, and will play for SonderjyskE again this season. Quirk, 29, had six assists in six games in the CHL last season.
Below is a list of all transfers from the past week involving CHL clubs.
Date | Player | Pos. | To: | From: |
3 August | Daniel Schwamberger | F | Sparta Prague | Benatky nad Jizerou |
Sami Blomqvist | F | IFK Helsinki | KalPa Kuopio | |
Corey Quirk | F | EV Landshut | SonderjyskE Vojens | |
2 August | Atte Pentikainen | D | Ilves Tampere | Karpat Oulu |
31 July | Tim Bender | D | Red Bull Munich | Schwenninger Wild Wings |
Jakub Gasparovic | F | Dynamo Pardubice | Dukla Trencin | |
Andreas Jamtin | F | HV71 Jonkoping | Medvescak Zagreb | |
Kurtis McLean | F | Medvescak Zagreb | Vienna Capitals | |
Jonas Siegenthaler | D | ZSC Lions Zurich | Washington Capitals | |
30 July | Magnus Lindahl | F | Sparta Sarpsborg | Storhamar Hamar |
Chris Bruton | F | Grand Rapids Griffins | Braehead Clan | |
Erik Bednar | D | HK Nitra | HK Piestany | |
Niklas Treutle | G | Red Bull Munich | Arizona Coyotes | |
John Rogle | D | EV Landshut | Red Bull Munich | |
29 July | Alexander Medvedev | D | Neman Grodno | Orlik Opole |
Alex Trivellato | D | Eisbaren Berlin | Schwenninger Wild Wings | |
Patrick Davis | F | Karpat Oulu | KalPa Kuopio | |
Ryan O'Byrne | D | Ambri-Piotta | HV71 Jonkoping | |
Jakub Ruckay | F | HK Nitra | HK Piestany | |
Ryan Ruikka | D | Gap Rapaces | Wichita Thunder | |
Carl Persson | F | HV71 Jonkoping | Kristianstad IK | |
28 July | Martin Stajnoch | D | Slovan Bratislava | Dynamo Pardubice |
Henrik Tallinder | D | ZSC Lions Zurich | TPS Turku |