Game-On In Germany (Soares, Leavitt, Swanson)

While puckheads here in North America still have roughly a month to go before satisfying their puck jones, the season kicked off in the German Elite League today, and Alaska connections flourished.

Former Alaska Aces sniper Josh Soares (60 goals and 140 points in 103 regular-season and playoff games over the previous two seasons) introduced himself internationally in a huge way. The 2007 ECHL first-teamer racked two goals -- one on the power play, one short-handed -- for the Kassel Huskies in an 8-3 win at Eisbaren Berlin. His teammate, former Aces standout Alex Leavitt (ECHL Rookie of the Year and league scoring leader in 2006) bagged a goal and went +3.

Also in Germany, center Brian Swanson, the former NHLer from Eagle River, opened his sixth season in Germany by scoring two minutes into the season opener for his new club, the Iserlohn Roosters (nice nickname, eh?). Swanson's new club -- he played the previous four seasons for what is now somehow known as the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers and his first season in Germany for Kassel -- beat Kolner Haie 6-5 on an overtime penalty shot. And get this -- the penalty shot came just five seconds into extra time.

Another Alaska connection in Germany is veteran defenseman Aris Brimanis, who plays for the Hannover Scorpions.

In other hockey news, former UAA forward Blair Tassone is returning to Holland to play his second season for the Groningen Grizzlies. Listed as a defenseman, he earned 6-19--25 totals in 37 games last season.

Goaltender Matt Lundin, who joined the Aces late last season, has signed to play with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League. And former UAF forward Ryan Lang has re-upped with ECHL Florida.