Release from 03.07.2026

New defensemen for Bolzano and Salzburg

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The HCB Südtirol Alperia and EC Red Bull Salzburg have further strengthened their defensive units. Bolzano have signed 31-year-old Teemu Kivihalme, who is already a Finnish champion. Salzburg, meanwhile, secured the services of 25-year-old Jayden Lee, who is set to play in Europe for the first time in his career.

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The 31-year-old Kivihalme brings a strong profile to Bolzano and has experience from some of the top teams in Finland, Sweden, and the American Hockey League. Last season, he played his fourth year in Finland’s Liiga with SaiPa. The team finished the regular season in third place, and Kivihalme was the second-best scoring defenseman on the roster with nine goals and 18 assists. In the playoffs, they were eliminated in the semifinals by eventual champions Tappara.

Prior to that, the US-born, Finnish-passport defenseman spent two seasons with the Malmö Redhawks in the SHL. He also gained valuable experience in the AHL and NCAA. His biggest career achievement came in 2017, when he won the Finnish championship in his first season with Kärpät.

Salzburg strengthen with Jayden Lee
Jayden Lee grew up in Canada and spent two seasons developing in the BCHL (British Columbia Hockey League). He then played five years of NCAA hockey from 2019 to 2024 with Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. During his time at the university, he enjoyed significant success, winning the regular-season title four times between 2021 and 2024 and capturing the NCAA championship in 2023. Lee was also named to the All-Star Team twice and served as captain in his final NCAA season.

Over the past two seasons, the defenseman played in the ECHL for the South Carolina Stingrays (2024/25) and the Kalamazoo Wings (2025/26), while also making three appearances in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks. In the ECHL, Lee recorded 16 goals and 49 assists in 119 games. The Red Bulls will be his first professional team in Europe.

Photo: Teemu Saarinen