Not long after having his contract terminated by Kazakhstan-based KHL club Barys Astana, American forward Chase De Leo, 29, has signed to play the rest of the current season with the ZSC Lions, the Zurich-based National League club announced on Monday.
De Leo was rumored to be headed to the SCL Tigers, another team in Switzerland, but ZSC’s sudden interest apparently stems from a long-term injury to Rudolfs Balcers, who is expected to be out until January with a broken ankle.
“Chase De Leo is an experienced and productive AHL player who can play in all forward positions,” said ZSC sports director Sven Leuenberger. “He is a very good option for us."
A native of La Mirada, California who played junior hockey for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, De Leo was chosen in the fourth round, 99th overall, by the Winnipeg Jets in 2014.
Between 2015 and 2024, De Leo played in the organizations of the Jets, Anaheim Ducks and New Jersey Devils, appearing in a total of seven NHL games and recording no points. He also produced 349 points in 494 AHL regular-season games and 16 more points in 33 playoff games. He has spent the past two seasons as captain of the San Diego Gulls.
Internationally, De Leo played for the USA at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.
De Leo was held pointless in nine games with Astana this season. The team won only two of those games and currently sits last in the KHL standings. Between Oct 18 and 26, Astana released five North American ex-NHLers on its roster – the others being defensemen Alex Grant, Will Butcher and Nathan Beaulieu and forwards Michael McLeod.
The ZSC Lions are the defending national champions in Switzerland and lead the National League standings again this season with 34 points in their first 15 games.