Weekly transfer update for EIHL from 18th to 22nd July

It all began, as per usual, with the Edinburgh Capitals. Travis Fullerton, formerly of neighbours Braehead Clan, decided to switch teams and Edinburgh secured the services of the netminder. He had come in last year as injury cover for former starter Chris Holt. With a goals against average of just over two he could be just what Edinburgh need.

On Wednesday, Braehead lost another player to rivals as Fife Flyers signed forward Brendan Brooks.

Head Coach Todd Dutiaume added “There is a reason Brendan was a fan favourite last season both on and off the ice. Not only does his resume say it all but he has an incredible work ethic, he's personable and will instantly connects with our fan base.” 

“On and off the ice Brendan is a guy we want associated with our club.”

“As soon as he became available I knew we had to make a move on him. He will feature in all areas of our line up and lead out front by example.”

“Brendan will be very good for us and compliments our other guys up front - I'm excited to see this forward line up taking shape.” 

A day later, Braehead themselves entered the market as they gained the services of forward Jeff Ulmer from Innsbruck.  The Canadian comes to Glasgow with a wealth of experience with clubs across the globe including Sweden, Finland, Germany, Belarus, Slovenia and more recently, Austria. He even iced 21 times with the New York Rangers in 2001-02.

Head Coach Ryan Finnerty said, “We were looking for that marquee guy, the guy with good experience and everywhere Jeff has been, he’s been a leading scorer.

“He also hasn’t missed a game for years, which is pretty incredible.  He’s in great shape and is a player that can keep going, which is a credit for how well he takes care of himself.

“He hasn’t had a dip in play and consistently delivers in points which is why everyone wanted him and I’m looking forward to welcoming him to Braehead.”

Later in the day Manchester Storm announced the first of two signings this week, with the signing of forward Mario Trabucco.

The former DEL & Allsvenskan player will be doing his MBA with SalfordUniversity whilst with the Storm this upcoming season.

Coach Omar Pacha was delighted with his latest capture, “I’m thrilled to have Mario with the Storm this season, he is a top end player who will be relied on for production throughout the year. He is a shooter, and we’ve been looking for that type of player, especially in our rink where things happen very quickly.”

As I said that wasn’t their only signing as they brought Matt Bissonette to the Storm shelter. He had spent two seasons in France with Chamonix.

Storm Coach, Omar Pacha, was delighted with the capture of Bissonnette, “Matt is someone who has been on my radar for a while now. He has size, great vision, and is renowned for his excellent passing ability. He is also close friends of recent Storm recruit, Mario Trabucco, and i know they are both delighted to be playing alongside each other this upcoming season. Mario spoke really highly of Matt, and from all the scouting reports i have done on him, I know we are getting a very talented hockey player & a highly committed individual who is still young & hungry to take his game to another level.”

On Wednesday the Coventry Blaze announced the signing of forward Björn Bombis. He comes from Germany, Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven to be exact, He has played all his career in either DEL or DEL2 and said “I am thrilled to become part of the Blaze hockey club," said Björn. "I feel enthusiastic, energized and also challenged to prove that I can contribute to the team’s success and become a big part of it for the upcoming season. My wife and I are always open for new challenges. We both look forward to experience a different culture and hockey market."

Just a little later Sheffield Steelers completed their roster with the signing of forward Andreas Valdix from Innsbruck in Austria. He had spent the last two seasons with them but played in the Allsvenskaren for eight years before that after playing in the Elitserien with Malmo.

Coach Paul Thompson said “Andreas is big, a very strong skater and has outstanding vision. He has incredible puck possession and passing qualities, he is a perfect fit for us.

“Don’t be fooled by his point output last year in Innsbruck, we have signed a very complete player and centre.

“We both did our research over this negotiation period, the more I looked into him, the more I realised he was the man we had been looking for. I coached against him in the Allsvenskan so have seen him first-hand, seen what he can do. He has an outstanding two-way game and is a very educated player.”

Edinburgh Capitals announced their second signing of the week when Russian Yvgeny Fyodorov joined them from VHL side Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk.

“His experience in one of the top leagues in the world mean he is another player who has the ability to make a big impact at the Capitals,” Edinburgh coach Michal Dobron said.

“He will fit in well with what we are building at the club, and having Vorobyov already can only help. He’s a dogged determined player who will play hard and who can play in any position on my front line.”

A signing for Cardiff devils on Friday came in the form of defenceman Mark Louis from Orlando Solar Bears. He joins the Devils from the ECHL and comes to the Elite League with 181 games worth of AHL experience following time with the Arizona Coyotes and New York Islanders organisations.

The final signing of the week came when Nottingham Panthers brought in utility player Erik Lindhargen from Timra in Sweden. He played over 200 games with his home town Linköping in the SHL.

“Initially we’ve added Erik to the defence corps,” Panthers coach Corey Neilson said. “But he can play any position up front as well and has played in the top leagues in his home country including their Elite divisions.”

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