Reports emerged claiming Calle Järnkrok had verbally agreed to join Brynäs for the next SHL season, but his agent has firmly denied the rumors. The 34-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs forward remains under contract in the NHL with no negotiations ongoing.
Earlier on Wednesday, Aftonbladet reported that Calle Järnkrok, a former Brynäs player and 2012 SM-gold winner, was set for a homecoming to the SHL club ahead of the 2025-26 season. The story suggested a verbal agreement had been reached, with Brynäs sport chief Johan Alcén incorporating the 34-year-old into next year's plans. This would continue Brynäs' trend of repatriating NHL talents, including Nicklas Bäckström, Jakob Silfverberg, Johan Larsson, Victor Söderström, Oskar Lindblom, and Christian Djoos.
However, Järnkrok's agent, Filip Andreasson of Newport Sports, quickly refuted the claims via X (formerly Twitter). "Uppgifterna är felaktiga. Pågår inga förhandlingar," he stated. Newport Sports issued a formal denial: "Med anledning av Aftonbladets artikel kan Newport Sports dementera att Calle Järnkrok är muntligt överens med Brynäs inför nästa säsong. Uppgifterna är felaktiga och saknar grund och det pågår inga förhandlingar med Brynäs eller någon annan klubb inför kommande säsong."
Järnkrok is in his fourth season with the Toronto Maple Leafs and 13th in the NHL overall, having left Brynäs in 2013. He has played 737 NHL games, accumulating 312 points. This season, he has faced challenges, including a 10-game point drought, limited ice time averaging 11:35 per game, and occasional healthy scratches despite no listed injuries. Last season, a sports hernia surgery restricted him to 19 games.
Hockeynews panelists had speculated on the potential impact of such a move, viewing it as a boost for Brynäs' rebuild and a chance for Järnkrok to serve as a mentor and two-way forward in the SHL. But with the denial, those discussions remain hypothetical.
