Leksands IF has signed Tyler Kelleher despite his history of missing regular season games due to injuries. Team officials say they are not concerned about his past ailments. The American forward has a strong playoff record in HockeyAllsvenskan.
Tyler Kelleher missed 53 regular season matches over the past three seasons because of various injuries. He sat out 27 games with an upper body issue while at Brynäs and 19 matches due to a hip problem at Djurgården. Last season with Modo he played in 45 of 52 games.
Leksands sportchef Jesper Ollas said the club has reviewed the record and remains calm. "Jag känner inte den oron här och nu," he told HockeyNews. Ollas noted that repeated injuries of the same type would be more worrying, but Kelleher has had different issues.
Coach Johan Hedberg highlighted Kelleher's playoff experience, including helping promote HV71, Brynäs and Djurgården. The team expects him to follow the system and contribute without a free role.
Kelleher is known for delivering in important matches and has never missed the playoffs after strong regular season absences.