Modo Hockey Club would really like to sign defenceman Mattias Norlinder. And the Swedish team is asking its fans to reach into their wallets and purses to help make that happen.
The team has launched a campaign on its website and social media channels, encouraging fans to help reach a financial goal needed to get the former Montreal Canadiens draft pick to “come home again” to the SHL.
It’s not clear how much Norlinder will be paid, but the campaign shows a target of $1 million Swedish krona (which is the equivalent of CDN$130,000) to bridge a gap in the team’s budget.
As of Tuesday morning, the club had raised about half the money needed (kr513,125), or about $67,000.
Norlinder’s three-year entry-level deal with Montreal had an AAV of US$925,000, though it was worth just $70,000 in the minors, according to PuckPedia.com.
Norlinder, 24, was drafted 64th overall by the Canadiens in 2019. He spent three seasons with Montreal’s AHL club, the Laval Rocket, and saw only six games of action in the NHL, registering one assist. He had five goals and 25 assists in 123 games with the Rocket but was not given a qualifying offer by the Canadiens this off-season, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Born in the small town of Kramfors on Sweden's east coast, Norlinder played four seasons for nearby Modo as a junior, before being loaned to Frölunda for one season in Sweden’s top league.
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