Offense strengthened

Graz 99ers sign US crack with NHL experience

Casey Bailey (left) has also played for Slovan Bratislava in the KHL

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

He comes from Alaska, has already scored in the NHL and last played in Germany. Expectations are high for the new addition to the Graz 99ers. This is the new man in attack.

The shopping spree of Philipp Pinter and Herbert Jerich continues! As the 99ers announced on Wednesday, Casey Bailey will strengthen the club's offense in the future. "He brings the scoring quality we were looking for. He has an enormous physical presence, but is particularly dangerous thanks to his hard, precise shot," says a delighted Pinter.

The 32-year-old Bailey has already traveled a lot in the ice hockey world. Born in Alaska, he first worked his way up to the US college league NCAA. Although he was not drafted in the NHL draft from there, he still signed for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the spring of 2015.

13 games for Maple Leafs and Senators
He played a total of 13 games in the NHL for the traditional club and the Ottawa Senators, scoring one goal. In 2018, Bailey moved to Europe, where he made his debut for Slovan Bratislava in the KHL.

Most recently, Bailey settled in the DEL, where he has scored 63 goals and 77 assists in 170 games for the Iserlohn Roosters and ERC Ingolstadt since the summer of 2020. Last year, he missed a large part of the basic round due to injury, but returned in the play-offs with two goals in seven games.

Leadership role and assertiveness
"I want to take on a leadership role in the team and pass on my experience to younger players. I also want to help the team score lots of goals. But I will also give my all to help the team not only in offense, but also in defense," says the 32-year-old Bailey about himself.

In terms of character, he's a super team player who can assert himself not only on the boards.

Philipp Pinter, Sportdirektor der 99ers

Pinter is hoping for a lot from his NHL-experienced man: "A super team player in terms of character, who can not only assert himself on the boards - but is also very strong in battles around the opponent's goal."