Canadian forward Brayden Tracey, 23, has left Finnish club Jukurit and will play the remainder of the season for Slovan Bratislava, the Slovak Extraliga club announced on Friday.
In his first season in Europe, Tracey had six points in 13 games for Jukurit.
“We were looking for a skilled forward who can score or create chances,” said Slovan GM Lukáš Havlíček. “Tracey has shown this both in the AHL and in the top Finnish league, so we believe he can do it here as well.”
Born and raised in Calgary, Tracey played junior hockey for the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors and Victoria Royals.
Tracey was chosen in the first round, 29th overall, by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. However, he only ended up playing one NHL game with the Ducks, which came in the 2021-22 season. He recorded 84 points and 118 penalty minutes in 186 AHL games with the San Diego Gulls.
This season, he played four AHL games with the Bakersfield Condors, the top farm team of the Edmonton Oilers, on a PTO and was held pointless. Tracey then signed with Jukurit in early December.
“Brayden has had a difficult start to the season, but we are offering a new start,” Jukurit director of hockey operations Mikko Hakkarainen said at the time. “He has a strong desire to return to North America and the NHL. We will do everything we can to help Brayden achieve that goal.”
Slovan currently sits fifth in the Extraliga standings with 75 points in 46 games. Tracey joins fellow Canadian ex-NHLer Nick Ritchie, who transferred to Slovan from HC Nové Zámky two weeks ago.