Wyatt Kalynuk Signs With EC Salzburg

Former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk will extend his career in Europe. After one-year stops in Finland and Russia, the 29 year old has signed a contract with EC Salzburg of Austria’s IceHL per an announcement from the University of Wisconsin, where Kalynuk is an alum.

Kalynuk began his tenure overseas with the Lahti Pelicans of Finland’s Liiga in 2024-25. The European flight offered a bit more stability for the puck-moving defender, who reached 33 points in 59 games – more than he had scored in any single season across two years in the AHL and four years in college.

He aimed for a slight step up after a solid performance, signing with Ak Bars Kazan of Russia’s KHL for the 2025-26 season. But rather than continue his growth, Kalynuk ran into challenges with the league change. His season would end up split across three clubs, including China’s Shanghai Dragons, and marked by just nine points in 38 games.

Kalynuk will now step back down the international ladder with a move to Austria’s top league. He will join winger Michael Raffl and center Adam Brooks as the only members of Salzburg with NHL experience. The trio are part of only 29 players in the league to play at the top level. The Austrian circuit should offer Kalynuk a chance to flaunt his puck-moving and lanky defense. It will also mark another chance to participate in Europe’s championship hockey league – a cross-league tournament where Kalynuk scored six points in eight games during his season with the Pelicans.

Kalynuk was a seventh round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017. He scored nine points in 26 NHL games and 74 points in 187 AHL games before taking his career overseas.