Veteran Goaltender Signs in Europe for First Time in his Career

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TJ Tucker
June 16, 2023 (12:56)

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After many years of bouncing around between the AHL, ECHL, and NHL, a veteran goaltender has decided to sign in first pro contract outside of North America. Färjestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League has announced the signing of 30-year-old Maxime Lagace.

Lagace spent the last two seasons under contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but spent all of his time in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch. While never drafted, he turned pro in 2014-15, signing with the Texas Stars. He did not get a shot in the NHL until the 2017-18 season with the Vegas Golden Knights, when he played 16 games. He also played in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and with the Lightning to round out his NHL experience.

"I have long thought that it would be fun to play in Europe. I've played with many Swedish players over the years, and somehow I've always been able to socialize with them. They've always been nice people, and I've talked to the guys about what it's like to play in Sweden. That's probably why Sweden and the SHL have been the place to look for an opportunity." - Max Lagace, Farjestad BK Official Website

Lagace will likely take a backup role to Carl Lindbom, a 20-year-old draft pick of the Vegas Golden Knights who signed on with Farjestad at the end of the 2022-23 season. Lindbom is expected to make the move to North America at some point.