Luke Adam of St. John’s is back in Germany for a fifth season of pro hockey in the DEL first division circuit.
The former NHLer is currently with his third team in the DEL, the Nürnberg Ice Tigers, after leaving Düsseldorfer EG in early November.
He appeared in 48 games with Düsseldorf last season, posting 14 goals and 30 points. Prior to that, he toiled for Adler Mannheim, with whom he won a league championship.
Now 30, Adam was drafted 44th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2008, two years before winning a silver medal at the world junior championship. In 2010-11, he was the American Hockey League’s rookie of the year.
He would play 90 NHL games over the next five seasons, 87 in Buffalo and a trio with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
He signed a free-agent contract with the New York Rangers in 2015, and spent a year with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in Hartford that season.
The next year, Adam was invited to the Calgary Flames’ training camp on a professional tryout. He was released after about a week, and made the leap — figuratively and literally — over the Atlantic Ocean to Germany.
In 188 career regular-season games in Germany, Adam has 55 goals and 136 points.
Two other players from Newfoundland and Labrador are also playing in Germany this season.
Former Newfoundland Growlers Zach O’Brien (five goals and five assists in four games) and Marcus Power (two goals and five assists in four games) are with Landshut of the DEL2.