- Julien Gauthier signed a one-year deal with Brynas IF of the SHL for 2026-27
- The former Hurricanes first-round pick leaves the NHL system after three injury-hit seasons
- Read below for how Gauthier landed in Sweden and what Brynas is banking on
Julien Gauthier is heading to Sweden.
The former Carolina Hurricanes first-round pick signed a one-year contract with Brynas IF of the SHL for the 2026-27 season, per Pro Hockey Rumors. The move pulls him out of the NHL system after a stretch of seasons wrecked by injuries.
Gauthier’s last few years were rough. He got into just 25 AHL games in 2025-26, and his season didn’t start until mid-November while he recovered from a season-ending injury the year before. He fell out of the lineup again three games into his return and didn’t get back to regular duty until February.
After 11 games with the Bridgeport Islanders, he was dealt to the St. Louis Blues in a minor-league swap. He wrapped up the year with 14 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds and finished with 12 points across both stops.
The 21st pick in the 2016 draft never turned into the power forward Carolina hoped for. He bounced through the fourth lines of the Rangers and Senators in 2022-23, putting up 14 points in 57 games, then spent the past two years fighting to stay healthy in the minors.
Brynas is betting a change of scenery and a clean bill of health bring the scoring touch back. The club finished fourth in the SHL in goals last season with former Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg leading the way. Gauthier gives them size and a physical edge up front.
He won’t be the only recent NHL face in Gavle. Brynas also added Jaret Anderson-Dolan this summer, and the club has been active chasing North American talent.
A strong, healthy season in Sweden could put Gauthier back on NHL radars for 2027-28. That’s the whole point of the trip.
