European Hockey Transfers: A Fresh Wave of Signings
Jeremy Bracco, a former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect, has agreed to a one‑year contract extension with Germany’s Eisbären Regensburg in the DEL2. The deal comes after a strong showing that saw him net 14 goals and 38 points in 37 games, including nine points over ten playoff contests.
Bracco’s hockey pedigree is deep; he was selected in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft and climbed to 79th overall on ESPN’s 2017 prospect list. After capturing the Calder Cup as a rookie in 2018 and posting 22 goals and 79 points in the 2018‑19 AHL season, he honed his game in Finland’s Liiga with KalPa Kuopio before stints in the DEL, KHL, and finally Slovakia’s Extraliga with HK Poprad.
Joining Bracco on the roster, J.C. Beaudin has signed a one‑year agreement with the DEL’s Straubing Tigers. The Ottawa Senators’ former forward, who appeared in 22 NHL games during the 2019‑20 season, spent two years in Germany’s top league with Wolfsburg and a season in Finland’s Liiga with TPS Turku before delivering a career‑best 42 points in 57 games during the 2023‑24 campaign.
Kaidan Mbereko, the American goaltender who represented the United States at two IIHF World Junior Championships, has extended his stay with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL for another season. Mbereko’s collegiate résumé includes a .925 save percentage and a 2.30 goals‑against average in his freshman year at Colorado College, where he finished with a 57‑57‑10 record and earned NCHC Goalkeeper of the Year honors.
These moves underscore the growing appeal of European leagues for North American talent, a trend that has been closely followed by analysts at ESPN. As players like Bracco, Beaudin, and Mbereko continue to carve out international careers, the landscape of professional hockey remains dynamic and full of opportunity.