The Penguins have loaned forward prospect Jan Drozg to Slovenian team HK SŽ Olimpija of the Alps Hockey League, Olimpija announced on Monday.
Drozg will play for Olimpija until training camps begin in North America.
The Alps Hockey League is comprised of teams from Austria, Italy, and Slovenia.
"The situation is really special," Drozg said in a Slovenian release by Olimpija. "I haven't had matches since March, I don't train like I used to. It is also still unknown when I will be able to return to America. It was necessary for me to start training as soon as possible and, if possible, to play matches at a 'replacement' club. I have been waiting for a decision for a long time and now it is clear that I will join HK SŽ Olimpija.
"I’m happy to be able to start preparing for the new season in some way. Of course, it is easier for me because I stay in Slovenia until I am called back to America. When that happens, I have a free path to go back to Pittsburgh and continue my season there. I expect a good start at Olimpija. I think this is completely different hockey than I was used to. It will definitely take me a while to get used to another system. I hope we win as many matches as possible and achieve the best possible results."
Olimpija president Miha Butara said that Drozg will "contribute a lot" to the team, and that "connections of our club with big foreign clubs are a beautiful journey and we will build on that in the future. I give Jan a warm welcome in Ljubljana and in a green jersey. I’m sure he’ll catch up great with our team."
As a Slovenian player, Drozg's options were limited in finding a European team to play for until the season starts. Some of the other European leagues have limits on import players, or aren't taking short-term loans. Playing in the Slovenian league allows Drozg to leave and return to North America whenever training camps begin so he can join Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Drozg, 21, was the Penguins' fifth-round pick in 2017 and played his first full professional season in 2019-20. He split the year between the ECHL and AHL, scoring 13 goals and 10 assists in 24 games with Wheeling, and five goals and three assists in 32 games with Wilkes-Barre. His time in Wilkes-Barre was primarily spent on the third line, but he was promoted to the first line shortly before the season ended.
"He played very hard, smart," Mike Vellucci told me of Drozg's season. "It's just a different game for him. I was holding him accountable every shift, and he came a long way. I expect him to be a good player for us next year."
The Penguins have loaned other European players to teams as a result of the delay in starting the AHL season. Forward Kasper Bjorkqvist is on loan to KooKoo of the Finnish league, and defenseman Niclas Almari is on loan to the Pelicans in the same league.
