In an interview to close out his season in Leksand, Jacob de la Rose mentioned that his contract with the Swedish Hockey League team ends in April, which means that he may choose to move on from the league.
Before this season began, de la Rose attempted to leave the SHL in order to join the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, but he was blocked when Leksand put their foot down and would not let him out of his current contract.
By all reports, de la Rose had a very solid rookie season in the SHL, posting 7 goals and 13 points in 49 games as an 18 year old in a men’s league. His shot rate left something to be desired, but considering his age it’s likely not something to worry about. The young Swedish center also put forth a dominant performance in the 2014 World Junior Hockey Championships, scoring 3 goals and 3 assists in 7 games, while playing a shutdown role, and winning a silver medal for his country.
When asked what he planned to do next season, de la Rose responded that he will see what the Montreal Canadiens have in mind, and that for now he’s still frustrated that his season is over.
Last season when Frolunda was eliminated, Sebastian Collberg came over to North America and played a few games for the Hamilton Bulldogs in the American Hockey League, after healing up from a concussion, so it’s possible that we could see the same thing happen with de la Rose, but there has been no hint of that as of yet.
Jacob de la Rose was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2nd round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, 34th overall, with the draft pick Pierre Gauthier acquired from Nashville in exchange for Andrei Kostitsyn.
