Release from 07.02.2024

Cristiano DiGiacinto strengthens the HCB offense

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The HCB Südtirol Alperia has signed Canadian forward Cristiano DiGiacinto. The 28-year-old is coming to Europe for the first time, having played in both the AHL and ECHL in recent years. The new signing could make his debut in the derby against Pustertal.

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Cristiano DiGiacinto made a name for himself in the Ontario Hockey League and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the sixth round with the 160th pick in 2014. He then made his debut in the ECHL in 2017, where he had twelve appearances and then played a further two seasons in an Acadia University jersey. He signed his first contract in the American Hockey League in 2021 with the Hartford Wolf Pack: in his first season in the second-highest North American professional league, he scored six goals and seven assists. He remained with Hartford the following year, alternating between playing in the ECHL in a Jacksonville Icemen jersey. In the current season, he also alternated between the AHL and the East Coast with the Cincinnati Cylcones, where he scored five goals and had twelve assists in 21 games. Now he's making the leap across the pond to Bolzano.

"Playing in the AHL and ECHL was certainly a challenge, but I always had the idea of coming to Europe at some point in the back of my mind. Bolzano is the ideal place for it: a club with a long tradition and a winning mentality that is always among the frontrunners in the championship. And that's my first goal: to win. I want to hit the ground running, as if I've been here since the start of the season: I'm excited because I might be able to make my debut in the derby, because these matches are always something special, where you can often give your best performance," says Cristiano DiGiacinto.

Official farewell to Tyler Sikura
HCB announced that the contract with Canadian forward Tyler Sikura has been officially terminated. The 31-year-old played 15 games in a Foxes jersey before returning to Canada in early December for family reasons.

Photo: Hartford Wolf Pack