Justin Pogge (RBK)
Imports players often come in and support or provide specialist services to a team, especially goal scoring. You might have thought that this would lead to a lot of netminders coming in but, no, Justin Pogge is the only North American of all 28 SHL keepers.
The 32 year old Canadian was drafted by Toronto Maple Leafs in 2004 after he had played for the national team in the Under 18 World Cup. He then followed that up by playing in the Junior World Championship the following year, where he minded net in a Gold winning team that included future stars, Jonathan Toews of Chicago Blackhawks and Kris Letang of Pittsburgh Penguins. Pogge had set a new tournament record with three shutouts and was been billed to be the "next big thing" in the Leafs illustrious history.
But having played brilliantly in his first NHL match, it simply did work out in the remaining six starts he was given. Instead he was "sent down to the minors", playing three years at the Leafs AHL development team, Toronto Marlies.
Pogge continued to seek take first keeper places in the AHL over the next four years until he took a risk before the 2012/3 lockout and moved to Europe aged 26. And it has been Sweden that his become his home. This is his second season at Rögle BK at he will be hoping to improve on his SVS% of .898 - the worst of his European career. The team will need him to be at the top of his game to not get ensnared in the relegation fight, as they did last year. The team has great ambitions and hope sparked by their remarkable second half of the season that saw them move up from bottom to tenth place. But will that drive be enough to produce results or will it be the fearful drop zone again for the team from Skåne?
@ABritOnThinIce1
