Skellefteå AIK has been hunting for a replacement for Petter Granberg since the SM gold last spring, and now a back giant should be ready. According to information to Expressen, Luke Witkowski is expected to join AIK shortly.

Expressen learns that Luke Witkowski will thus be the solution to Skellefteå AIK’s big back problem, as the team missed Måns Forsfjäll during the autumn and also had to see Elias Salomonsson, Petter Granberg and Anton Olsson all leave the

read more Skellefteå beat Bremerhaven in OT to end season with another win

Skellefteå AIK hosted Pinguins Bremerhaven in Northern Sweden for their final game of the 2024/25 Champions Hockey League Regular Season. Both teams had strong performances throughout the season, with Skellefteå already securing their Playoffs spot. Bremerhaven, however, faced higher stakes, as their ticket to the Playoffs was still uncertain.

The visitors came out boldly in the first period, creating plenty of scoring opportunities, but couldn’t capitalise on them. The Swedish hosts, on the other hand, converted their chances, scoring on a powerplay following a hooking call. Andreas Johnson fired a shot from the right face-off circle that deflected off the netminder and into the net, giving Skellefteå a 1-0 lead at 12:43.

The second period saw another powerplay goal for the hosts, this time after Bremerhaven’s Rayan Bettahar was called for holding. Oscar Lindberg scored from the lucky right face-off circle, extending the lead to 2-0. Bremerhaven had several chances, but Skellefteå’s goalie Love Härenstam kept them off the scoreboard, and the teams went into the locker rooms with the home side up by two.

The third period brought drama to the game. At 46:24, Matthew Abt capitalised on a setup from Dominik Uher, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Chaos ensued in the 47th minute as three penalties were handed out in quick succession, leading to hectic shifts between powerplays and penalty kills for both teams. At 49:33, Žiga Jeglič, fresh out of the penalty box, scored to tie the game at 2-2. With no further goals in regulation, the game was forced into overtime.

In the extra period of play, Skellefteå took advantage of a powerplay to secure the win. Oscar Lindberg scored his second of the night, sealing a 3-2 overtime victory for the Swedes. Despite the loss, the sole point from the game (combined with a little help from results around Europe) were enough to secure Pinguins Bremerhaven safe passage into the upcoming Playoffs.