Canadian forward Alex Nikiforuk has signed for Nottingham Panthers.

The 32-year-old moves to the Elite League after spending the last nine seasons in Europe, playing in Italy, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland and Germany.

Panthers’ boss Corey Neilson said: “He’s fast and he reads the game well and he has been a star in leagues of a higher standard than ours.

“I’ve had a number of references on Alex and everyone I’ve talked to speaks highly of him as a player and as a human being and they all rated him as a potential high flyer in our league.

“He’s not going to be the biggest guy on the ice, but he plays gritty and we’ve got the players to protect him and give him the kind of space to allow him to do his thing.

“His numbers show he is a playmaker with just about two assists for every goal, but he also knows where the net is.”

(Image permission: Keystone)