Preview: SDHL 2019/20 - my top 3 - Luleå HF

Bild från Bildbyrån

Preview: SDHL 2019/20 - my top 3 - Luleå HF

Luleå HF

The summer transfer season has been very quiet for the Norrbotten club – and why should the team that has won the SDHL three times in the last four years change anything?

They already have Sweden’s national netminder, Sara Grahn and Sweden’s top scoring forward from 2018/9, Emma Nordin in their squad. Plus they have five of the Finnish international team who are based in Luleå. Finland are the third best team in the world that beat Canada in the 2019 World Championship and were only a controversially disallowed goal from winning the final against the USA. Defender and team captain, Jenni Hiirikoski and forward, Michelle Karvinen are two of the best players in the world in their positions and have Finnish teammates Ronja Savolainen (D), Noora Tulus (F) and Petra Nieminen (F) for company.

Their only new signing is Danish international, Nicoline Söndergaard Jensen, yet another big loss for Linköping HC. (Photo shows Karvinen on the left celebrating with Söndergaard Jensen on right).

But such is the talent of Brynäs and HV71, that although this is still an outstanding team, I think that it will not be a third win in a row for Luleå in 2019/20.