[Signing] Mitch Wahl signs ... in Austria

[devo22]

According to the Austrian media, Mitch Wahl has left North American hockey and has instead signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian league. Salzburg coach Don Jackson: "he's a hard worker who always wants to be on the puck. He was great in the ECHL and we think he can come in and surprise everybody."

I will keep an eye on him this season. Hope he does well. But there's no doubt that it's another huge step back in his career.

[Ozy_Flame]

Wahl is all but done for a trajectory to the NHL. Just wasn't the same after that hit. However, there is a great article (I believe by Danny Tkaczuk) who absolutely loved playing in Europe and has a great life there.

[FAN]

I watched Mitch Wahl play a lot in juniors and honestly I never thought he was NHL caliber. The way he's listed it seems like he has good size but he looked like a little guy to me who played a perimeter game. The points he put up have always surprised me.

[Flashpoint]

I totally disagree this is a step back.

The problem with being in Utah is that it's so hot. That has to have significant impact on a player with Mitch's condition.

Moving to the alpine Austrian environment is going to significantly help Wahl, as well as any other player who happens to be made of wax.



Should have happened a long time ago. Thanks Sutter!

[devo22]

well, here it has been around 35° C every day for a couple of weeks now

[FlamesAddiction]

I think this is a step up personally. The EBL is a pretty good league and I would rather play there than the ECHL.

I suppose it's less of a straight line to getting back to the NHL, but realistically, it is time for him to probably set new career goals.

[sun]

Originally Posted by devo22

well, here it has been around 35° C every day for a couple of weeks now

Thought it was winter in Australia right now?

[devo22]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I think this is a step up personally. The EBL is a pretty good league and I would rather play there than the ECHL.

I suppose it's less of a straight line to getting back to the NHL, but realistically, it is time for him to probably set new career goals.

I agree that the quality of the league is quite good, it has improved drastically over the last 10 years ... also thanks to the fact that they have included foreign clubs. The loss of Zagreb to the KHL hurts, but they have added an Italian club now instead, so it will still be a 5 country league: Austria (Salzburg, Innsbruck, Vienna, Villach, Klagenfurt, Graz, Linz, Dornbirn), Italy (Bozen), Hungary (Szekesfehervar), Czech Rep (Znojmo) and Slovenia (Ljubljana).

Still, once you play there, the NHL door usually closed on you. Jamie Lundmark and Kyle Greentree have been league superstars here. A successful stint in Austria can give you the chance to play in Germany, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland or in the KHL, but those guys hardly make it to the NHL after playing in Austria. The only one I remember is Lee Sweatt, but he also played in the KHL and in Finland after his Austria stint before he played 3 games for Vancouver.

Guys like Wahl usually have two options: spend your career in the AHL/ECHL and make your living as a minor leaguer, or go to Europe and try to carve yourself a nice career there as a journeyman. It will be interesting to see how he fares in the Austrian league. Some former NHLers have absolutely faltered here (Alex Auld), while guys who were AHL journeyman or fringe players at best have dominated the league (Ryan Kinasewich, John Lammers). Depends on how they adapt to the different rink size, I guess.

[Vulcan]

Glad to hear he's carrying on his hockey career. Who's next to sign there, Irving?

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I think this is a step up personally. The EBL is a pretty good league and I would rather play there than the ECHL.

I suppose it's less of a straight line to getting back to the NHL, but realistically, it is time for him to probably set new career goals.

Realistically, he's hoping to parlay it into signing with a team in Finland or Sweden. If he's really lucky, perhaps the KHL. But the NHL dream is pretty much over for him. Still, one can have a good career in Europe.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Flashpoint wins the Internet for the month with that post. I giggled like an idiot. So juvenile but it worked.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Realistically, he's hoping to parlay it into signing with a team in Finland or Sweden. If he's really lucky, perhaps the KHL. But the NHL dream is pretty much over for him. Still, one can have a good career in Europe.

Yeah, if I knew that was no way Im making the NHL, I'd much rather be playing in Europe than some total hole in the ECHL. Switzerland, Austria, Sweden etc can offer a pretty great lifestyle.

[sureLoss]

Well that didn't last long.

Redbull Salzburg has exercised its option to terminate Wahl's contract.

http://translate.google.com/translat...21243359172363

[Cali Panthers Fan]

hmm...kid isn't good enough to play in the Austrian league. Pretty sure he's not gonna make it.

*no disrespect to devo22

[FlamesAddiction]

I still wouldn't be shocked if an AHL team signs him and then assigns him to the ECHL.

Or maybe he will sign in Italy, England or Norway. Germany and Switzerland are on about the same level as Austria, so maybe he could catch on there, but I doubt any teams will be banging down his door.

[TKB]

Originally Posted by devo22

well, here it has been around 35° C every day for a couple of weeks now

Turns out it was a little to warm for the man of wax in Austria to!

[Buff]

His career just hit a wall.

[bubbsy]

no disrespect to wahl, hope he does well in his future hockey development, but man are things different for flames fans these days.

We have been hollering about how the flames Center position has been fairly craptastic for decades now, and not long ago, wahl, was part of the prospect group we were hoping to build around one day. Backlund, Wahl, were the main Centers in the pipeline in the spring of 2010.

Today, we are looking a Center pipeline of Monohan, Horak, Reinhart, Granlund, Colborne, Jankowski, knight, Arnold, not to mention hopefully Backlund taking the next step finally this year.

As a guy who has been annoyed about the flames knowing the problem but doing little to rectify it over the years, i have to give Jay Feaster 2-thumbs up on how he has tackled this problem. even if only a fraction of the above ever materialize, we have enough chips in the game that we should something good developing soon.