Former Vancouver Canucks Forward Scores 'Goal of the Year' Overseas in Europe

While the 2025-26 season is just getting underway here in North America, the new campaign is in full swing across the Atlantic in many of Europe leagues, with numerous former Vancouver Canucks hitting the ice.

Among those suiting up overseas this season include reigning KHL MVP Josh Leivo, defenseman Brad Hunt, defenseman Brady Keeper, who ended his brief retirement recently, as well as Finnish forward Markus Granlund.

Granlund is currently in his sixth consecutive season in Europe after leaving the Edmonton Oilers organization back in 2020 and this week, scored what may go down as the 'Goal of the Year' in any league across to World.

After a strong 2024-25 season with Geneve-Servette HC in Switzerland's top division, National League, which saw him register 47 points in 39 games, forward Markus Granlund returned to the club for a second year and so far, things are going swimmingly.

The Oulu, Finland native lead Geneve-Servette HC in goals with seven and is third in points (12), behind only 2016 fourth overall pick Jesse Puljujarvi and 2022 Olympic gold medalist Sakari Manninen.

Early in the third period of their road game this week against EV Zug, Granlund scored an unbelievable goal that left even the home fans in attendance stunned.

Granlund forced a turnover in the neutral zone before skating into EV Zug's zone, slid the puck past his defender, skated around him to retrieve it and attempted to pull off the "Peter Forsberg", but managed to put enough of his stick on it to get the puck in the back of the net.

Granlund, 32, appeared in 335 games in the National Hockey League with the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers between the 2013-14 and 2019-20 seasons.

In February 2016, Granlund was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Hunter Shinkaruk and went on to register 69 points (41 goals, 28 assists), 48 penalty minutes and was a minus-36 in 215 games in the Lower Mainland.