Has Derick Brassard Already Signed In Switzerland?

Canadian forward Derick Brassard, who hasn’t played since late in the 2022-23 season, is going to end his retirement and play in Switzerland, according to numerous sources.

Swiss media outlet Blick reported on Wednesday that National League club Genève-Servette was interested in signing the 38-year-old native of Gatineau, Que.

“Yes, I'm interested in him,” Servette sports manager Marc Gautschi confirmed to Blick’s Grégory Beaud. “There’s a possibility he might want to play again, and we’re definitely in the running.”

On Thursday, a tweet from X account Dans le Vestiaire avec Nicolas St-Pierre, reported that Brassard had already signed with Genève-Servette. That tweet was in turn quoted by Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, who has since deleted it. Several other media outlets have since reported it as a done deal.

To this point, the Genève-Servette club has not announced the signing. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened – in Europe, and especially in Switzerland, there is often a substantial amount of time between when a contract is signed and when it’s announced.

In any case, it appears that if Brassard hasn’t already signed with the club, it could happen soon. It would mark a return almost three years after suffering a broken leg while playing for the Ottawa Senators on March 30, 2023.

A star junior player with the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs, Brassard was drafted sixth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Erik Brännström Signs Multi-Year Deal In Switzerland Swedish defenseman Erik Brännström, 25, has signed a three-year contract with Lausanne HC, the National League club announced on Monday.

Between 2007 and 2023, Brassard played 1,013 NHL regular-season games for the Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, New York Islanders, Arizona Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers, and Senators, recording 545 points and 465 penalty minutes. He also played in 118 playoff games, recording 68 points and 56 minutes.

Genève-Servette currently sits fifth in the 14-team National League with 53 points in 32 games. The team's roster includes former NHLers Jesse Puljujärvi, Markus Granlund, Jimmy Vesey, Josh Jooris, Marc-Antoine Pouliot, Jan Rutta and Tim Berni, whose NHL rights are still retained by Columbus.   

CONFIRMED: Jesse Puljujärvi Signs Multi-Year Contract in Switzerland Finnish winger Jesse Puljujärvi, 27, has signed a two-year contract with Genève-Servette,<a href="https://www.gshc.ch/actualites/detail/article/jesse-puljujaervi-au-gshc-pour-deux-ans"> the National League club announced</a> on Tuesday.