Dynamic Wings duo soaring in Switzerland
The experiment is off to a rousing start.
When the Detroit Red Wings signed free-agent forward Damien Brunner over the summer, they did so with the idea of playing him alongside Henrik Zetterberg. The NHL lockout put a hold on those plans — at least until Zetterberg contacted his new teammate a couple weeks back and inquired about joining him in Switzerland with EV Zug.
They’ve been inseparable ever since.
Zetterberg is playing like a man possessed with seven goals and 11 points in just five league games while Brunner sits on top of the Swiss scoring table. The third member of the line, former Edmonton Oilers forward Linus Omark, is also among the league leaders in points.
Not to be forgotten among Zug’s top contributors is Canadiens defenceman Raphael Diaz, who spent eights seasons in Zug before joining Montreal a year ago and has 16 points in 15 games for the team.
“He’s just a great kid to be around, he works hard and I can’t say enough about the guy,” Zug coach Doug Shedden said Wednesday. “He’s a classy kid and in my eyes, he’s a great player. I hope he goes to Montreal and continues to succeed.”
Zug currently sits seventh in the 12-team league, but has played fewer games than all of the teams ahead of it in the standings. A victory over SC Bern on Friday would move them up at least one spot.
The Swiss league has been a big beneficiary of the NHL lockout, with John Tavares, Jason Spezza, Rick Nash, Joe Thornton, Patrice Bergeron, Patrick Kane and Tyler Seguin among the other highprofile players to come over.
Roughly 200 locked-out NHL players have now signed deals in Europe, with varying results. Here’s a look at three notable performers over the past week: Evgeni Malkin, Magnito- orsk (KHL):
The reigning NHL MVP has taken flight while playing for his hometown team, scoring 12 points in the last four games and being named the KHL’s top forward of the week. The scoring surge vaulted Malkin to second in league scoring, one point behind CSKA’s Alex Radulov.
Tyler Seguin, EHC Biel (Switzerland): Seguin followed his first hat trick in Switzerland last week with a two-goal effort the following game. The 20-year-old says he’s looking for a unique experience during the lockout and should get it after being joined in Biel by Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane over the weekend.
Nicklas Backstrom, Dynamo Moscow (KHL): Not only did Backstrom score his first KHL goal last week, he also managed to put an end to a mini-controversy by announcing he would soon be switching sweater numbers. The team assigned him No. 99 — some saw it as an affront to Wayne Gretzky — but Backstrom told a Swedish reporter on Tuesday that he’ll soon be wearing No. 69 instead.