Canadian forward Joseph Cramarossa, 32, has signed to play with the Vienna Capitals for the remainder of the current season, the Austrian-based ICEHL club announced on Friday.
“Vienna is a great city and the Vienna Capitals are an organization that has historically always been successful,” said Cramarossa. “When I heard about the Caps’ interest, the decision to sign in Vienna was quickly made for me and my family. The fact that I already know Coach (Gerry) Fleming and that I have only heard good things from former players in the organization were also decisive factors.”
Born and raised in Markham, Ont., Cramarossa played junior hockey for the OHL’s Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors and Belleville Bulls. He was drafted in the third round, 65th overall, by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Between 2016 and 2022, Cramarossa played 68 NHL games with the Ducks, Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild, scoring five goals and adding eight assists and 81 penalty minutes. He was also NHL property of the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks during that time.
Cramarossa has played in Europe since January 2023 in the DEL for Adler Mannheim and Löwen Frankfurt. Last season, he had 27 points in 47 games for Frankfurt.
“I am a player with a complete skillset and always try to help the team as best as possible with all facets of my game,” Cramarossa continued. “I hope that with my experience and my style of play, I can give a very good group an offensive lift.”
“We have thoroughly explored the player market over the last few months and have finally decided on Joseph,” said Capitals sports director Christian Dolezal. “We think he brings the ideal overall package to our team. Joseph has leadership qualities and has a lot of experience. We expect his signing to add a new dimension to our offense. His complete style of play means he can make a difference in many situations, such as on the penalty kill or on the power play. In addition, he can also bring a healthy amount of toughness to the game, should it be necessary.”
Vienna currently sits eighth in the 14-team ICEHL with 18 points in 16 games.
Cramarossa is the second player with NHL experience on the Capitals’ roster. The other is Swedish goaltender Anders Lindbäck, who signed a short-term contract in early October after an injury after starter Tyler Parks was injured. It remains to be seen if Lindbäck stays with the team much longer.