NHL Rumors: Steven Stamkos to Play in Switzerland?
2 hours ago by Emma Harger
Steven Stamkos could sign with a Swiss team in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. John E. Sokolowski-US PRESSWIRE
The exodus of players to Europe brought on by the NHL lockout continues, as do the rumors about where the game’s biggest players may choose to play and wait out this work stoppage.
Reportedly, Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning could take his 50+ goal a year talent to HC Lugano of the Swiss National League A.
HC Lugano has been playing in the Italian-speaking Swiss city of Lugano, which is very close to the Italian border, since 1941. During the 2004-05 lockout, HC Lugano took in David Aebischer, a Swiss goalie who was with the Colorado Avalanche at the time, as well as Kimmo Timonen and Alex Tanguay. The team has won seven National League A championships, all since 1986.
For this lockout, HC Lugano has already brought in Luca Sbisa of the Anaheim Ducks. Sbisa was born in Sardinia, Italy, but moved with his family to Switzerland when he was just a baby, so he grew up in the area and can speak four languages, including Italian.
Now he could find himself playing alongside another NHL player. Stamkos, the two-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner is close to inking a deal with Lugano, but it’s going to be costly: according to Matias Strozyk, his insurance alone is going to run at about $75,000 a month.
The costs of bringing in Sbisa and, possibly, Stamkos could hit HC Lugano pretty heavily. Many European teams have no money set aside for taking on new salaries or the hefty insurance plans players need. Some teams spend more than 80 percent of their revenue on just paying their players’ salaries. Another National League A team based in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, HC Ambri-Piotta, spent more than 100 percent of their revenue on salaries. European team general managers feel pressure from many sources to sign NHL players despite this less-than-ideal financial situation.
Like North American NHL fans, those in the European hockey field hope for a speedy resolution of the lockout.
Read more at
http://www.rantsports.com/nhl/2012/09/2 ... 0tQtQ5R.99