Updated 19.46 | Published 15.38
Skellefteå AIK has found its solution in the goalkeeping crisis.
Strauss Mann, 27, is finished.
Strauss Mann belonged to Skellefteå season 2021/2022 and on Saturday Sportbladet was able to reveal that he was details from a comeback.
In the evening the club confirmed the news in one Press release.
– Strauss made a strong impression with us last time and has accumulated even more experience since then. We know what we get in him – an ambitious, well -trained and skilled goalkeeper who can give us security at the back, says Skellefteå’s general manager Erik Forssell.
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Two goalkeeper injuries
Skellefteå is forced to act because Gustaf Lindvall is gone with an injury before and star goalkeeper Linus Söderström must be operated and expected to be gone for the rest of the year.
During the preseason, the Mora acquisition Jani Lampinen, 22, guarded the cash register in five of six training matches and 18-year-old Anton Ringquist has played a match.
During his last victory in Skellefteå, Mann played 22 matches in the basic series where he had 91.4 in rescue percentage. He also played two playoffs when Skellefteå went out in the quarterfinals against Färjestad.
– Four years ago I took a big step when I signed up for Skellefteå AIK without any previous experience in professional games and without really knowing what it meant to play in Europe. The team and the city welcomed me quickly – I made friends for life and experienced some of my finest moments here, says Mann.
Played the Olympics and the World Cup
The fine efforts in Skellefteå meant that man was taken in the US Olympic squad and World Cup squad in 2022. He played two Olympic matches and four World Cup matches.
After the time in SHL, Mann has played in the AHL and ECHL (the level under the AHL). This past season he spent in Germany where he was the first goal keeper for Augsburger Panther.
The contract with Skellefteå is written over the 2025/2026 season. However, it is still unclear if Mann is ready for play for the premiere against Djurgården next Saturday.
