Top 10 former NHLers to watch at 2025 Spengler Cup
It’s that time of year again. An annual post-holiday tournament featuring European and North American teams going at it for bragging rights.
That’s right, it’s the Spengler Cup.
The tournament, traditionally hosted by National League powerhouse HC Davos in Switzerland, showcases clubs from across Europe, culminating in the championship game on New Year’s Eve. It’s the oldest international hockey tournament, having been first held in 1923. This year’s tournament has a new twist, as a group of players from the NCAA ranks will be participating, giving North America two entries this year.
One of the intriguing storylines heading into the event is the number of familiar faces in action, particularly those with substantial NHL pedigrees. Along with a number of veterans, Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nolan Allen is set to play for Team Canada. The former first-round pick has been loaned to the team from the Hawks’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.
On this holiday, let’s take a look at the Top 10 former NHLers set to play in this year’s Spengler Cup.
Calen Addison, D (Canada)
Addison brings a significant amount of high-end experience to the roster. The former Minnesota Wild rearguard spent parts of four seasons in the NHL, before spending the entirety of the past couple of years in the American Hockey League with the Henderson Silver Knights, Springfield Thunderbirds and, most recently, the Utica Comets. This is the first time Addison will be representing his country since winning gold with Team Canada at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.
James Reimer, G (Canada)
Reimer is best remembered for his tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs. As an up-and-coming goaltender, he became a fan favorite for his efforts in helping the team reach the playoffs in 2013. With the arrival of Jonathan Bernier, Reimer eventually fell out of favor, and was traded to the San Jose Sharks prior to the 2015-16 trade deadline. The Manitoba native bounced around from there, making stops with the Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks before finishing the 2024-25 season with the Buffalo Sabres. He signed a PTO with the Leafs this past fall, but didn’t make the roster.
Brett Seney, LW (Canada)
A notable scorer in the AHL, Seney is back on the Canadian roster after putting up two assists in last year’s Spengler. The former sixth-round draft pick of the New Jersey Devils has been one of the IceHogs’ top offensive weapons for the past few seasons, posting a career-high 63 points during the 2023-24 season. Rockford’s captain is off to a great start this season, posting nine goals and 30 points in just 29 games. In 66 NHL games, which includes stops with the Hawks and Maple Leafs, Seney has scored six goals and eight assists for 14 points.
Reto Berra, G (HC Fribourg-Gottéron)
One of the heroes on last year’s Fribourg-Gottéron team that won the Spengler Cup for the first time, Berra is back for more. The former Calgary Flames backstop went 2-0-1 in last year’s tournament and is off to a great start in the NL this year. In 22 games, the Swiss netminder leads the league in wins (17), goals-against average (1.55) and save percentage (.934), as well as being tied for first with four shutouts. Berra was once a top prospect, but never found a consistent spot in the NHL after a decent rookie season with Calgary in 2013-14.
Lucas Wallmark, C (HC Fribourg-Gottéron)
Wallmark had the makings of being a solid secondary scorer with a rising Carolina Hurricanes team in the late 2010s, scoring a solid 28 points during the 2018-19 season. However, after the COVID-shortened 2021 season, he elected to return to Europe. The one-time Olympian has been a solid scorer with Fribourg-Gottéron over the past couple of seasons, scoring a career-best 20 goals and 47 points two years ago. This season, Wallmark has six goals and 14 points in 17 games. At the Spengler in 2024, the Swedish center posted two assists in three games.
Leo Komarov, C (HC Davos)
One of the newest members of the host team – and by new, I mean literally signed last weekend – Komarov brings loads of experience to a team looking to win a record 17th Spengler Cup. The one-time NHL All-Star made a name for himself with the Toronto Maple Leafs, posting a career-high 36 points during the 2015-16 season. He rounded his tenure in the NHL early in the 2021-22 season, when his contract with the New York Islanders was terminated. After playing SKA St. Petersburg and Luleå HF, the Estonian-born forward has spent the previous two seasons with Finnish squad IKF Helsinki, which is also participating in this year’s tournament. Komarov has won the IIHF Men’s World Championship and Olympic gold with Finland.
Brendan Lemieux, LW (HC Davos)
Lemieux is back, hoping to make an impact as the hosts look to win the Spengler for a record 17th time. He joined the team a little before last year’s tournament after his contract with the Hurricanes was terminated. He ended up not scoring a point in 15 regular-season games, but did score a goal in the Spengler Cup. His noted physicality got him in trouble in last year’s NL Playoffs, as he was suspended four games for punching a linesman. This season, the former Los Angeles Kings grinder has posted two goals and four points in 13 games.
Filip Zadina, RW (HC Davos)
Zadina’s NHL career is considered by some to be a tragedy. Once regarded as the next big European star with the Red Wings, he wasn’t able to fit into the team’s system and ended up being seen as an afterthought before he was bought out by the Wings after the 2022-23 season. The Czech winger spent the 2023-24 season with the San Jose Sharks before finding a comfortable home in Davos. Along with posting 34 points last year, along with another nine in the postseason, Zadina posted a goal and four points in the Spengler Cup. In 28 games thus far, the 26-year-old has scored 14 goals and 26 points, good for third on Davos in scoring.
Mark Pysyk, D (HC Sparta Praha)
At one point, Pysyk was looked at as a player to bring life to the Buffalo Sabres blueline. Taken 23rd overall in the 2010 NHL Draft, he was expected to be part of the team’s D-Corps for years to come. However, things didn’t quite pan out. After four years in the Buffalo system, he played with the Florida Panthers for four seasons. After bouncing around a little after the pandemic, the Alberta native moved to Europe, joining Finnish squad SaiPa for the 2024-25 season. He ended up signing with Prague and has been a solid asset for a team that’s in first place in the Czech Extraliga, and made it as far as the Round of 16 in the Champions Hockey League. In 32 regular-season games, Pysyk has netted four goals and 11 points.
Devin Shore, C (HC Sparta Praha)
Another notable addition to Sparta this season, Shore joined the Czech side after bouncing up and down between the NHL and AHL for the past few years, including last season with the Wild organization. Once a Dallas Stars mainstay, having played close to 500 games in the NHL, Shore elected to give European hockey a try and seems to be fitting in well in Prague. In 24 games, he has 10 goals and five assists for 15 points, sitting tied for seventh on the team in scoring. He also posted three points in five CHL contests.
The 2025 Spengler Cup begins on Friday, with Fribourg-Gottéron taking on HC Sparta Praha. Team Canada will play the U.S. Collegiate Selects in the nightcap.