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Report: NHL Teams Expressing Interest in European Goalies

NHL teams are showing interest in a trio of goalies who have never played in North America.

Nick Horwat

Oct 21, 2009; VILLACH, Austria: A general feature of men's ice hockey equipment. Mandatory Credit: Christian Walgram/Gepa via Imagn Images
Oct 21, 2009; VILLACH, Austria: A general feature of men's ice hockey equipment. Mandatory Credit: Christian Walgram/Gepa via Imagn Images / GEPA/Imagn Images

One of, if not the most important position in the sport of hockey is goalie and the NHL could see an influx of fresh faces between the pipes. According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, multiple teams across the NHL are beginning to express interest in a trio of European netminders.

Weekes states that Tobias Normann of Frolunda HC in Sweden, Jonas Arntzen of Orebro HK also in Sweden, and Stephane Charlin of the Langnau Tigers in Switzerland are attracting attention from NHL teams.

None of the three goalies have ever been associated with an NHL team, nor have they ever played in North America. All three would be considered unrestricted free agents by the NHL, giving all 32 teams an equal opportunity to sign them to deals.

Normann is a 23-year-old native of Norway who currently holds a 7-5-0 record with Frolunda. With a .918 save percentage and 2.01 goals against average, Normann is helping lead Frolunda to one of the best records in the SHL.

Arntzen is 27 years old and also a native Norway. He may have a 7-12-0 record with Orebro, but some of his other numbers look outstanding. In 19 games played, he has a .926 save percentage and 2.15 goals against average.

He may be a bit older compared to the other names gaining attention, but Arntzen has the advantage of playing with a former NHLer. Jhonas Enroth played eight years in the NHL, mostly with the Buffalo Sabres, and is currently backing up Arntzen in Sweden.

Charlin is a 24-year-old Switzerland native who is putting up great numbers with the Tigers. In 21 games played, he has a 14-5-1 record with a .951 save percentage and 1.66 goals against average.

It’s not clear what teams have expressed interest in these free agent goalies, but there is real potential for steady jobs in North America. There may be a bit of a learning curve in learning how to transition between playing styles, but at the end of the day, a goalies job is always the same: Stop the puck.

Normann, Arntzen, and Charlin can all do that.

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Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

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