There was a big “get” for Division 1 -- the third tier of Swedish professional hockey -- on Thursday, as Huddinge IK announced the signing of Buffalo Sabres netminder Jhonas Enroth.
Enroth, 24, played for Huddinge at the junior and senior levels (when it was an Allsvenskan club) prior to joining the Sabres organization in 2008.
The Swedish third division is unique in that it’s made up of 57 teams (!!!) geographically split into six divisions. At mid-season, the top four teams in each division form three new leagues -- then, at the end of the season, there’s a series of playoffs to determine promotion to the Allsvenskan. The loser is relegated to ringette or something.
As for Enroth -- he’s coming off a successful “rookie” campaign that saw him named to the NHL’s 2011-12 All-Rookie team. Even though he’s 24 and debuted with the Sabres in 2009-10, Enroth was still considered a rookie last season because he’d never appeared in more than 14 games in a single season.
It’s believed his time with Huddinge will be brief -- Matias Strozyk of Elite Prospects notes Enroth will sign a two-game contract.
UPDATE: Enroth confirmed it’s a two-game deal via Twitter...Signed a 2 home game deal with my hometown team @huddingehockey today!
— Jhonas Enroth (@JEnroth125) October 25, 2012