Lahden Pelicans has signed a player contract with Canadian forward Gabriel Fortier. The contract covers the next season.

The 26-year-old Fortier is a left-shooting two-way forward who is moving to Lahti from the Swedish SHL, where he represented Leksands IF during the 2025–2026 season.

He also has experience from North America, having played for a long time in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch and appearing in 11 NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Fortier was drafted by the Lightning in the second round of the 2018 draft.

The Pelicans’ new sports director Jarkko Oikarinen Holm has high expectations for the new acquisition.

– Gabriel brings us valuable experience from both the AHL and SHL. He is a competitive, hardworking, and team-oriented player with a strong desire to develop and take the next step in his career. We believe that his qualities fit excellently with the Pelicans’ identity and playing style, Oikarinen Holm describes on the Pelicans’ website.

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