Official: Brendan Perlini is a new HC Lugano player

Hockey Club Lugano announces the signing of forward Brendan Perlini (left wing), holder of dual British and Canadian citizenship, for the 2025/26 season. Perlini was born on April 27, 1996, in Guildford, Great Britain.

Perlini is a fast, physically imposing player (192 cm, 96 kg), but also extremely talented, with excellent hands and pure skill.

Having moved with his family from the UK to Canada at the age of eleven, he stood out as a junior in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Niagara Ice Dogs. His performances earned him a bronze medal at the U18 World Championship and a spot on Canada’s U20 World Championship team, as well as a prestigious 12th overall selection in the 2014 NHL Draft, just behind future stars like Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, Leon Draisaitl, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Kevin Fiala.

Perlini’s North American career included 262 NHL games (81 points) with the Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Edmonton Oilers, and 106 AHL games (77 points) with the Tucson Roadrunners, Bakersfield Condors, Chicago Wolves, and Charlotte Checkers.

Swiss hockey fans will also remember the 29-year-old Perlini from his stints with Ambrì during the 2020/21 season (21 games, 16 points) and more recently with playoff finalists Lausanne during the second half of last season (11 games, 4 points), after a brief appearance in the KHL with Spartak Moscow.

Hockey Club Lugano’s General Manager Janick Steinmann commented on Brendan Perlini’s profile as follows:

“Brendan Perlini is easy to describe: he’s a forward whose game is defined by three words – speed, technical skills, and talent. He’s a highly capable offensive winger with playmaking abilities and scoring touch. He is highly motivated to come to Lugano and be a big part of us and our new culture.”