On transfer deadline day, SCL Tigers' team manager Pascal Müller might have found in Axel Holmström a sort of replacement for the injured Ville Saarijärvi. With the Finnish defender sidelined for a few weeks, the Tigers would have had only six import players available (including netminder David Rautio). The signing of Holmström would thus allow the Tigers to play with six imports on the ice whenever Rautio is not deployed.
Holmström has spent the last two seasons with Vaasan Sport, a Finnish team in the Liiga. The club currently sits in second-to-last place and has started to release players. Holmström scored 13 goals and collected 27 assists in 49 games with Sport this season.
