EURO CURVE

Euro Curve takes a daily look at the latest international hockey news.

Recent Signings:

– St.Louis Blues Draft Pick Patrik Berglund (2006,1/25) was cut from training camp and will return to the Swedish Division 2 Club VIK Västerås HK. The highly touted Berglund had an impressive 48 points in 35 games last year.

– Luca Cunti, a 2007 Tampa Bay Lightning Draft Pick (3/75), has signed on to play for St.Cloud State University of the NCAA League( American College Hockey). The Zurich native played for the GCK Lions ( Division 2 Swiss League)in 2006’07, scoring 2 points in 5 games. Cunti looks to improve his chances of making the Lightning next season by testing the more rugged American college league.

– Former NHLer Tomas Surovy has signed on with Linköping of the Swedish Elitserien. Surovy split last season between the Elitserien and Slovakia. He scored 23 goals, and 32 assists in 55 games for Luleå while also playing 7 games in Slovakia. Surovy last played in the NHL in 2005’06 for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 26-year-old Slovakian had 12 goals and 13 assists in 53 games that season. Surovy was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2001, 4th round, 120th overall.

– Cory Murphy, considered one of the best players in Europe- and not in the NHL-last year, has been turning heads in Florida Panthers training camp. The 29-year-old Kanata, Ontario native is expected to pair up with Jay Bouwmeester this season to form an explosive 1-2 power play punch. Murphy signed with the Panthers in 2007 after posting solid numbers in the Finnish League last season. Murphy had 13 goals and 37 assists in 45 games playing for HIFK Helsinki. Check out this piece on Cory Murphy on Fanhouse. Jes Golbez wonders if Murphy will be able to make the smooth transition from the Finnish League like Brian Rafalski and Lubomir Visnovsky did before him.

– Jeff Heerema, a 1998 1st round draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes ( and former Manitoba Moose, 2004’05) scored a goal and led his new team, The Franfurt Lions to a 4-1 victory over the Augsburger Panthers last night. Check out the other Die 1 Bundesliga scores here.

Füchse Duisburg – Hamburg Freezers 4-5 OT
Adler Mannheim – Kölner Haie 1-2 OT
Frankfurt Lions – Augsburger Panther 4-1
Sinupret Icetigers Nürnberg – Krefeld Pinguine 7-2
Ingolstadt Panthers – Düsseldorf Metro Stars 3-2 SO
Hannover Scorpions – Straubing Tigers 5-0
Eisbären Berlin – Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg 5-1

For Illegal Curve, I’m Ezra Ginsburg.