Luca Sbisa signs with HC Lugano of National League A
By jer
February 15, 2012; Pittsburgh,PA, USA: Anaheim Ducks defender Luca Sbisa (5) moves the puck up ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Ducks won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE
We have another lockout related move to report to you. Anaheim Ducks defensemen Luca Sbisa has signed with HC Lugano (a team in the National League A, a hockey league in Switzerland). Sbisa’s contract will last the duration of the NHL lockout.
Here is the announcement from the team’s website (forgive the poor Google translation, the announcement was understandably not originally posted on the club’s site in English):
"The Hockey Club Lugano communicates with the satisfaction of having reached an agreement with the player Luca Sbisa who will wear the black and white jersey for the duration of the lockout of the NHL championship. Sbisa (188 cm. X 93 kg.) Was born in Ozieri in the province of Sassari (Sardinia) 30/01/1990 Italian parents. He moved to Oberägeri a child, he is passionate about ice hockey and grew up in the youth field hockeysticamente of Zug with which he made his debut in the first team in the season 2006/2007. Selected in the Import Draft from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) in 2007 by the Lethbridge Hurricanes, he soon left our country and has played a total of 133 games in the youth championship of the Western Hockey League (WHL) between 2007 and 2010. Drafted in the meantime, in 2008 the first round and in 19th place overall by the Philadelphia Flyers, then debuted in the top North American league championship in 2008/2009. After being sold in the summer of 2009 as part of a trade with the Anaheim Ducks, he played as a defender with the franchise owner California the last two league NHL. Overall, and despite his young age, Luke has to his credit more than 200 games in the NHL so with a tally of 7 goals and 36 assists. In spring 2011 he signed a four-year contract with Anaheim worth over two million dollars a year. Sbisa has played in all selections rossocrociate category (U17, U18, U20) and has played with the greatest national team of the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver and the world championships in 2011 and 2012. The club believes that the presence of Luca Sbisa in organic until the eventual resumption of the league NHL can be a serious reinforcement in light of the absence for a period of uncertain importance of a defender Steve Hirschi. Luca Sbisa, who is currently in Anaheim and fluent in Italian, reach Ticino early next week."
Jer is ready for the lockout to be over. Follow him on Twitter @JerMeansWell.