American-German center Ryan MacInnis, 29, has signed a two-year contract with Kölner Haie, the DEL club announced on Friday.

“It was an easy decision for me to sign with the Haie,” said MacInnis. “It’s a large and traditional club with passionate fans. Last season, the Haie made a statement by finishing second. I’m really looking forward to this and can’t wait to get to know the team and the city of Cologne.”

Haie Sports Director Matthias Baldys: “We are very pleased to have Ryan MacInnis on our team with immediate effect,” said club sports director Matthias Baldys. “Ryan is a versatile player who can play as a center or winger. He can also play in a variety of roles in all game situations. With his size, Ryan also brings a physical presence and already knows the league well from his three years in Mannheim.”

MacInnis was born in St. Louis while his father, Hall-of-Fame defenseman Al MacInnis, played for the St. Louis Blues, and remained there until he joined the U.S. National Team Development Program at age 16 and then the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL at age 18.

MacInnis was chosen in the second round, 43rd overall, by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2019 and 2022, he played 27 NHL games for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres, recording one assist.

Report: Kölner Haie & DEL Set New European Attendance Records; New Records In Czechia & Britain Too The Alliance of European Hockey Clubs published its annual attendance study on Wednesday, <a href="https://www.eurohockeyclubs.com/attendance?seasonId=25">ranking 376 clubs across 29 leagues</a>.

MacInnis has played in Germany since 2022, spending the last three seasons with Adler Mannheim, where he’s recorded 61 points in 116 DEL regular-season and playoff games.

Kölner Haie finished sixth in the DEL standings last year but made the finals, losing to Eisbären Berlin. In each of the last two seasons, Kölner Haie has set a new European attendance record. The team has already signed former St. Louis first-rounder Dominik Bokk and Danish former Edmonton Oiler Patrick Russell this off-season.

Photo © Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images: Ryan MacInnis playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2021.

Danish Ex-Oiler Signs In Germany Danish forward Patrick Russell, 32, has signed a contract to play with Kölner Haie, <a href="https://www.haie.de/news/haie-nehmen-patrick-russell-unter-vertrag/">the DEL club announced on Friday</a>. Terms of the agreement were not specified.