Swiss National League clubs had an unusually busy week in late July: three import signings landed within days of each other. Each of the three came in with a real track record already established somewhere serious, whether that meant NHL ice, a stint in Sweden’s SHL, or the Swiss league itself. SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers were first to move, and Lugano and Zug both wrapped up their own deals within roughly the same stretch of days. Maybe it’s coincidence. It’s also probably not: heading into 2026/27, none of these three clubs seems willing to gamble a roster spot on an unproven kid, and each one signed someone who had already shown, somewhere, that he belongs at that level.
Labanc Brings Nine NHL Seasons to Rapperswil
Kevin Labanc celebrates his first period goal – Photo by Jack Lima
signed a one-year deal with the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers on July 23. He’s 30, American-Slovak, and by NHL standards a fairly known quantity, 542 games across nine seasons. Eight of those nine seasons came with the San Jose Sharks. For a stretch there, he lined up next to Swiss forward Timo Meier. After San Jose he moved on to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Then came a move nobody quite saw coming: a while with the Shanghai Dragons of the KHL, that’s the Kontinental Hockey League, before Switzerland entered the picture. It’s a fairly unusual resume for the Lakers to land, roughly a decade near the top of the world game plus a detour through Asia.
Shore Returns to Where He Won a Title
Lugano signed the 33-year-old American Nick Shore on July 27, and the deal is a short one. It runs, at least on paper, only through the end of October, with an option to extend through the rest of the 2026/27 season if he actually locks down a regular roster spot. Switzerland isn’t exactly new territory for him at this point. He’s already suited up for both Zug and HC Ambrì-Piotta over the years. It was with Zug, back in 2021, that he actually won a Swiss title. Right before this, he’d spent two seasons in Sweden. At 33, walking back into a league where he’s already won something probably isn’t much of a leap of faith.
Transfers like these get attention outside the rink, too. Swiss hockey’s fan base has long overlapped with online casino players, and one name that comes up often is https://rollingslots-ch.com/, which regulars just call rolling slots.
Moverare Swaps the Los Angeles Kings for Zug’s Blue Line
Swedish defenseman Jacob Moverare signed a two-year deal with Zug on July 28. He arrives after several seasons inside the Los Angeles Kings organization. That’s somewhere north of 100 NHL games since he debuted back in 2022. His resume at home holds up just as well. He won a Swedish championship with Frölunda HC back in 2019. Two Champions Hockey League titles with that same club followed along the way. For Zug, that arguably reads as two years of stability on the blue line rather than a one-season trial.
Linesman Alex Ledovskiy (21) drops the puck on a faceoff between Thomas Bordeleau (17) and Jacob Moverare (44) – Photo by Jack Lima
