Wyatt Kalynuk, a 29‑year‑old defenseman who once skated for the Chicago Blackhawks, has agreed to a contract with EC Salzburg of Austria’s IceHL, marking the latest step in a trans‑European career that has taken him from the Big Ten to the Liiga, the KHL and beyond.
A New Chapter in Austria
The move comes after Kalynuk spent the 2024‑25 season with the Lahti Pelicans, where he posted 33 points in 59 games and helped the club compete in Finland’s top division. His overseas adventure began earlier with a stint in Russia’s KHL, where he navigated a three‑team campaign that included brief appearances for China’s Shanghai Dragons, tallying nine points in 38 appearances.
Career Overview
Drafted in the seventh round by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017, Kalynuk never fully cracked an NHL lineup, but he did register nine points in 26 NHL games and contributed 74 points over 187 AHL contests. Internationally, he is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin, where he honed his defensive play before embarking on a pro journey that has now landed him alongside NHL veterans Michael Raffl and Adam Brooks in Salzburg.
Raffl and Brooks, both of whom have NHL experience, join Kalynuk as the only players on the Salzburg roster with prior North American league exposure, a fact that underscores the team’s blend of European talent and North American know‑how. The trio is part of a select group of 29 players who compete at the league’s top level, highlighting the growing international footprint of the IceHL.
Kalynuk’s contract with EC Salzburg reflects a career in flux but not without promise. After navigating the competitive waters of Finland’s Liiga and Russia’s KHL, he now looks to revitalize his trajectory in Austria, where the pace of play and competitive balance may offer the fresh start he seeks.