Former Sabres First-Rounder Signs With Sparta Prague
Canadian defenseman Mark Pysyk, 33, has signed a one-year contract with Sparta Prague, the Czech Extraliga club announced on Thursday. The former NHLer is coming off a season where he helped SaiPa to the Finnish Liiga finals.
'Last season was my first in Europe and I didn't know what to expect, but the SaiPa fans were incredible,' said Pysyk. 'I know Sparta has a huge arena and a huge and loyal fan base, so I can't wait to get there and feel the energy, especially when the playoffs come.'
'He is an experienced defenseman with excellent skating and passing,' said Sparta director of hockey operations Tomáš Divíšek. 'If not for an unfortunate injury, he might still be a stable NHL defenseman.'
Originally from Sherwood Park, Alta., Pysyk played junior hockey for the hometown Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL and was chosen in the first round, 23rd overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
From 2012 to 2022, Pysyk played 521 NHL regular-season games for the Sabres, Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars, recording 104 points and 152 penalty minutes. He also played four playoff games for Florida in the 2020 Eastern Conference playoff bubble in Toronto.
Former Sabres First-Rounder Signs in Finland Canadian defenseman Mark Pysyk, 32, has signed a contract to play the remainder of the current season with SaiPa Lappeenranta,
the Finnish Liiga club announced on Thursday.
In the summer of 2022, Pysyk signed with the Detroit Red Wings. However, a short time later, he underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles' tendon and missed the season.
Pysyk spent the 2023-24 season in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Calgary Wranglers, recording four assists in 43 regular-season and playoff games combined. In September 2024, he attended the training camp of the Anaheim Ducks on a PTO.
In November 2024, Pysyk signed to play the remainder of the season with SaiPa in the Finnish Liiga. He recorded 17 points in 56 regular-season and playoff games as SaiPa reached the finals.
Last season, Sparta finished first in the Extraliga regular season but was eliminated in the semifinals by eventual champion Kometa Brno. In addition to Pysyk, the team has under contract for 2025-26 numerous ex-NHLers, including captain Vladimír Sobotka, Michal Kempný, Miikka Salomäki, Filip Chlapík and goaltender Josef Kořenář, whose NHL rights are retained by the Utah Mammoth.
There Will Be A New Czech Champion - Třinec's 5-Year Reign Ended By Sparta After five long years, Oceláři Třinec's reign as Extraliga champion is over, following the team's quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Sparta Prague before a sellout crowd of 17,220 at O2 Arena on Monday.
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Gilgeous-Alexander is the face of basketball in Oklahoma City, is rapidly becoming one of the faces of the NBA — his jersey is now one of the highest-selling — and it's no secret that he is the icon for fans in Canada now. It used to be Steve Nash, the first Canadian to win NBA MVP. Now, Nash has help. "You can only imagine and get excited about all the kids around the world, but in particular Canadians that will be affected so positively, whether they're basketball players or not, by the way he carries himself, by the way he executes and commits to his profession," Nash said. "It's remarkable and he's an amazing example for everybody out there, not just kids." There's no question Nash had some impact on Gilgeous-Alexander's rise in the game. Another great who did: Kobe Bryant. There are parallels: similar body types, even similar ways they answer questions. Bryant famously said "job's not finished" when asked about his Lakers getting within two wins of a title one year; Gilgeous-Alexander had a similar moment after the Thunder got to three wins in this series, saying "we haven't done anything." They have now. "He is probably my favorite player of all time," Gilgeous-Alexander said of Bryant. "Never got the chance to meet him. With me, with kids all across the world, his influence has gone through the roof. He'll be remembered forever because of the competitor and the basketball player he was. Yeah, I'm hopefully somewhere close to that as a basketball player one day." He's not there yet. But Gilgeous-Alexander got one day closer Sunday, when he reached basketball's mountaintop for the first time. "It means everything," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "We rose to the moment. And here we are." Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
an hour ago
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins NBA Finals MVP after leading Thunder to title
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