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Lennart Petrell signs in Europe; Ladislav Smid rumoured to be on his way too
Sep 20, 2012, 16:53 EDT
The exodus to Europe is well underway, and a pair of Edmonton Oilers joined the discussion today. Lennart Petrell has signed with Helsinki, his old team in the top Finnish league, while Ladislav Smid is rumoured to be en route to the Czech Republic.
It’s not really a surprise to see Petrell return to Helsinki; not only is it his hometown team, but prior to joining the Oilers Petrell spent more than a decade either with the club or in its system. His breakthrough 34-point campaign in 2010-11 (over 56 games) earned him an NHL shot in the first place.
The rumours surrounding Smid are of much the same variety. The Liberec White Tigers (Bílí Tygři Liberec) are the team that developed Smid and where he spent his pre-NHL career.
In both cases, these returns represent homecomings.
Tip of the hat to EliteProspects.com on both the transfer of Petrell and the rumoured transfer of Smid.
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