Carl Soderberg is finally going to come to Boston.
The Swedish forward has been approved to join the Bruins, ending a standoff between Soderberg and the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation. The news was first reported by Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman.
It appeared that the Swedish hockey brass wanted Soderberg to stay and play for his country during the upcoming world championships, but Soderberg then stated that he would not play and now the NHL has overruled the SIHF.
Soderberg agreed to a contract that would keep him in Boston for this year and the following two seasons, at a cap hit of one million dollars per year.
“We are fortunate to get a player like Carl at this stage of the season,” Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said in a statement.
“I would like to thank the president of the Linkoping hockey club, Mike Helber and their GM, Johan Hemlin, in playing a significant part in allowing Carl to play for the Boston Bruins. Carl is a big strong two-way center who can also play wing. We look forward to him joining our team this week.”
NESN’s Leah Hextall also confirmed the news with Soderberg’s agent, J.P. Barry.
“The NHL registered they agreed that Carl’s club release allows him to sign in the NHL,” Barry said. “The Swedish argument of a second contract existing with the Federation failed.”
Soderberg will join the club Wednesday, according to the team, and he will be eligible for the remainder of the NHL regular season and playoffs. The big forward could be a boost to a team still waiting for Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron to recover from injuries.
