Lakers quickly replace Červenka with ex-NHLer & KHLer

The same day as they lost captain Roman Červenka, the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers quickly replaced the vacant position on their top line by signing 30-year-old Swedish winger Pontus Åberg, the National League club announced on Monday.

“Pontus is a skilled player and has the qualities to score points. He enjoyed himself here and we are happy that he is returning to the Lakers family,” said club sports director Janick Steinmann.

Originally from Stockholm and a product of the famous Djurgarden club, Åberg was a second-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2012. He played in North America from 2014 to 2020 and again in the 2021-22 season, recording 49 points in 150 NHL regular-season and playoff games with the Predators, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs. During Nashville’s run to the 2017 Stanley Cup final, Åberg had five points while playing in 16 of the team’s 22 post-season games.

Åberg previously played briefly for the Lakers at the end of the 2022-23 season, after transferring mid-season from Czech club BK Mladá Boleslav. He spent last season playing for Barys Astana – the KHL’s Kazakh-based club – where he produced a team-leading 37 points in 64 games.  

Shortly before the Lakers announced the signing of Åberg, Czech club Dynamo Pardubice announced they had signed the team's former captain, Roman Červenka, who had one more year remaining on his contract in Rapperswil-Jona.

"We very much regret that Roman has decided to leave us," said Steinmann. "At the same time, we understand the motives and do not want to put any obstacles in his way. Roman is not only a gifted hockey player, but an absolute leader and was a role model for all Lakers players."