Tommy Salo retiring from NHL to play in Europe??

[Jazz]

Saw on TV (rumor only) that Tommy Salo is considering a return to Europe to play in the Swedish Elite League as opposed to backing up in Colorado.

Anyone else hear this??

[aj]

Don't know about Salo, but the CBC website says Renberg's done his NHL career, and has signed a contract in Sweden.

[Lukasz]

On the polish hockey portal I read that „Denver Post” wrote that probably Salo will sign contract with MoDo in Sweden. Colorado don’t want him anymore.

[pihinalle]

I have heard this rumour about two months ago. Same goes to Peter Forsberg. It's likely that they will sign contracts with MoDo. Peter's father Kent Forsberg has already been signed to coach MoDo earlier in the spring.

[Graham]

Renberg has signed a 3-year deal with Lulea in Sweden.

Graham.

[Laho]

There's a mass escape of Nordic players going on. Forsberg, Renberg, Salo... and also at least Finns Sami Kapanen and Tommi Santala are quitting their NHL careers and coming home... then there's also been talks that Swiss league team HC Fribourg-Gotteron is offering a contract for Jussi Markkanen.

[Jazz]

Terve Laho!

True, there does appear to be some sort of exodus, but keep this in mind..

Some of these players are only securing a place to play during what looks like a sure NHL lockout situation for 04/05. I'd be curious to see how many of these contracts signed have an out-clause once the NHL season gets underway.

Salo's case is a little different (I think), as he is winding down his career altogether and we might have seen him for the last time in the NHL altogether, even if there is a season next year. He'll probably end up playing a few years in the SEL before retiring altogether.

G.

[Jazz]

And here's the story:

SALO RETURNS TO NATIVE SWEDEN[/u]
source: slam.canoe.ca/Slam040603/nhl_col-ap.html

STOCKHOLM (AP) -- Goalie Tommy Salo signed a contract with MoDo of the Swedish Elite League on Thursday, ending a 10-year career in the NHL.

"Moving from Edmonton to Colorado near the end of the season was very positive," Salo said. "I played a lot in the last regular-season games, but got only half a game in the playoffs."

Salo, 33, started his NHL career with the New York Islanders after helping Sweden to beat Canada in a penalty shootout in the 1994 Winter Olympics final at Lillehammer, Norway.

Salo picked MoDo, a team based in Ornskoldsvik in northern Sweden, after new coach Kent Forsberg contacted him in February.

"I didn't consider any other clubs," Salo said. "It's a nice city, I've been there many times and have many friends there. And I like fishing. I've heard there's great fishing in that area."

Forsberg, the father of last season's NHL MVP Peter Forsberg of Colorado, is a former Swedish national team coach.

"Tommy never let me down," Forsberg said. "When we won the world championship gold medal in 1998, Tommy gave up less than a goal per game. But I can't ask him to post a similar average for us."

Salo, whose last save on Paul Kariya's penalty shot in Lillehammer is one of the greatest moments in Swedish sports history, looks forward to representing Sweden again in the second World Cup of Hockey starting in late August.

"All the best players will be playing, so it's going to be a lot of fun," he said.

Salo will compete for the starting job with Toronto's Mikael Tellqvist, and Henrik Lundqvist, one of two non-NHL players on the Swedish squad and named the top goalie at this year's world championship, even though he gave up five goals to champion Canada in the final.

[rockies]

Ornskoldsvik is the great small hockey city of Sweden where every boy dreams of being a hockey player, the birthplace of great stars such as Peter Forsberg, Markus Naslund, Thomas Gradin and the Sedin Twins.
It could be the best place to watch hockey if there is a lockout in the NHL next season.