A talented forward heard his name called 40th in the NHL draft. He was invited by the Florida Panthers team.
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Until then, only two Lithuanians had been drafted in the NHL – Darius Kasparaitis (5th, 1992) and Dainius Zubrus (15th, 1996).
However, at least for now, S. Ignatavičius will not move across the Atlantic. The Geneva Servette club announced that the Lithuanian will continue to develop in their ranks.
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It is added that Servette reached an agreement with the Panthers for the upcoming season. “This is a wonderful opportunity for Simas to continue his progress in an environment he knows well, and with a familiar coach,” the statement reads.
S. Ignatavičius left Lithuania for Switzerland at the age of 12 and debuted in the main Geneva team last season, during which he played 63 games, scored 9 goals, and made 7 assists. The Lithuanian was named the Swiss league’s rookie of the year.
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The Servette club lost in the Swiss league semifinals last season.
