Two championship titles as a recommendation: Penguins sign Lucas Kalbel

Pinguins manager Alfred Brey is known for hiring players who don’t have a lot of focus. This also applies to Lukas Kälble. The 25-year-old comes from Mannheim and learned to play ice hockey at a youth academy, but then went to the United States seven years ago to continue his professional and athletic training in college. He attended Lake Superior State University (Michigan) for four years and then Clarkson University (New York). He graduated in 2022, and in the same year he went to the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, with whom he won the Kelly Cup in both seasons.

a one-year contract with the Penguins

Now the defender returns to Germany. Bri said he signed a one-year contract with the Penguins. “I was a little surprised he was available. I think he was going to the AHL,” says the Pinguins manager. When it became known in ice hockey circles that Kälble wanted to return to Germany, many clubs showed interest. But the defender chose Bremerhaven. “Fortunately,” Bree says. “He’s big and strong – a good defender. I think he’ll play a good role.”

The Penguins roster is now almost complete

With Kälble, the Penguins team is practically complete. The Storm’s “job” is still officially vacant, but it can be assumed that the Penguins will stretch out with Niklas Andersen. In addition, a third guard must comply.

Kälble is the eighth defender on the team, and the competition is even greater than in previous years. The left-handed shooter, who is 1.85 meters tall and weighs 93 kilograms, must be adjusted. After all, he had a good basic education in Mannheim and gained a lot of experience in North America. According to Brie, he was seen as an attacking defender when he was young, but then he greatly improved his defensive play in the USA. “I think I’ve learned a lot in recent years, and today I would describe myself more as a ‘two-way defender,'” Kälble was quoted as saying in a Penguins press release. Last season, he scored four goals and provided 30 assists in 85 games for the Everblades.

2016 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Bremerhaven

Born in Mannheim, he was a U16 to U20 national player. Kälble also knows the Bremerhaven Ice Rink from that time. In December 2016, he participated in the U-20 World Championship (Division 1), which was held in Bremerhaven. At that time, he made contact with Kälble and continued to follow his development in North America, Bree says. He sees great potential in the new signing and believes he can make a step up to the German national team. Kälble is coming to Bremerhaven with his girlfriend Jade on Tuesday, where he plans to spend most of the summer until preparations begin in August. “Bremerhaven is the place for me to develop my sport further and to take the next step in professional ice hockey after my trip to America,” says the 25-year-old. “Having two championships in the last few years has made me even hungrier to win.”