Generals sign Swiss import Nico Gross

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

After some speculation, the Oshawa Generals have signed Swizterland’s Nico Gross to play for the team this season.

Earlier this month, following a tweet from Gross’s Swedish club that Gross would be playing in Oshawa this season, fans grabbed at the news, excited that the star defensemen with stints at the World Junior Hockey Championships and the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament would be coming to Oshawa this year.

However, the news was shot down when Roger Hunt, the general manager for the Gens came out to say the rumour wasn’t true and that no deal had been cemented.

It didn’t take long to make it official though as the team announced on Aug. 14 that Gross had committed for the 2017/2018 season joining Latvia’s Renars Krastenbergs as the team’s second import player.

Gross was selected 34^th overall by Oshawa in this year’s CHL Import Draft, and while the six-foot, 183 pound defensemen had strong stats last season with the EVZ Academy, it was an opportunity to see the player first-hand that attracted Oshawa to select him in the draft.

During the pre-tournament for the 2016 World Juniors tournament, Switzerland took on the United States at the Tribute Communities Centre, giving Hunt and the scouts a chance to view the young player.

“It give us a bit of a jump on the competition if you will,” Hunt says.

Eligible for the 2018 NHL Draft, Hunt sees a big year ahead for Gross, who along with being a strong force on the blueline has some offensive potential as well.

“He’s gonna want to have a good year,” Hunt says, noting that there may be a brief adjustment period to the Ontario Hockey League style of play. “I think it’ll take a bit of time to adjust…but I think he’ll move quickly in that.”

Fans will get their first look at Gross during the Gens training camp next month.