Montreal Canadiens prospect Vinzenz Rohrer is set to spend more time in Switzerland.
Just over a year ago, the Montreal Canadiens announced they had signed prospect Vinzenz Rohrer to a three-year ELC after he helped his team, the Zurich Lions, win their second straight Swiss National League championship, and he put up a convincing performance for Austria at the World Championship. Last season, he was loaned to Zurich before joining the Laval Rocket in the AHL for the last game of its regular season. He picked up two points in that game and was then dressed for the five games the Rocket played in the playoffs.
It was believed he would spend the season in Laval if he failed to make the Habs lineup out of camp, but news has now come out that he has signed a three-year contract with EV Zug in the Swiss National League. It appears he has already been loaned for this season, and the situation will be reviewed at the end of the year to determine where he spends the final season of his ELC deal.
When his ELC expires at the end of the 2027-28 season, he will be an RFA, but he will still have one year left on his contract with Zug. This is a surprising move from Rohrer, who had said after the first game of the Rocket’s series against the Toronto Marlies:
Everything happens so fast. It’s a pretty tight game. There’s not a lot happening 5-on-5. I’ve tried to adjust as fast as I can.
The winger participated in the Canadiens’ training camp last season and admitted he needed to adjust and get reacquainted with the North American style of play and its physicality. Rohrer spent two years in the OHL, including his draft year, before heading to Switzerland.
Multiple teams in the Swiss League were reportedly interested in Rohrer, including his former team, the Lions, and HC Davos, but Zug reportedly had the better offer financially, according to Klauss Zaugg from German site Watson.
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