If the NHL season (or postseason) does commence at some point this summer with expanded rosters, you can bet that Brian Gibbons would be an ideal candidate to provide some depth for the Carolina Hurricanes. The veteran forward has plenty of NHL experience but has spent most of this season in the minor leagues. Even if he does spend some more time with the Hurricanes however, he might be headed elsewhere when the season concludes. A report out of Switzerland today suggests that Gibbons will sign a contract with Lausanne HC of the NLA for next season.
Lausanne recently parted ways with Petteri Lindbohm, another former NHL player, but Gibbons would be joining Mark Barberio and Cory Conacher among the foreign players for the team. The 32-year old forward played 15 games for Carolina this season but failed to register a single point, recording 18 in 26 minor league contests instead.
Gibbons has over 200 games in the NHL, but it is clear that his best chance to be an impact player at that level is behind him. He did score 12 goals and 26 points in just 59 games for the New Jersey Devils in 2017-18, a total that looks like it will end up his career-high.
With a new transfer agreement in place between the NHL and NLA, Gibbons’ contract with the Hurricanes will need to expire before he’s technically allowed to sign a new one with Lausanne—if in fact that’s where he’s heading next season.