After finishing the 2017-18 AHL season with the Rockford IceHogs, helping the team to their best finish in the league since joining in 2007-08, Chris DiDomenico is returning to Switzerland to play for the SCL Tigers of the National League on a two-year contract. DiDomenico previously played three seasons with the SCL Tigers from 2014-2017.
DiDomenico Returns To Europe
The 2017-18 season probably did not go the way that Chris DiDomenico probably had hoped. He began the year with the Ottawa Senators, with a short waiver claim stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning thrown in, before returning to the Senators via waivers again. DiDomenico played in 24 games with Ottawa this season, tallying 10 points (6G, 4A) while also skating in 25 games with the Belleville Senators in the AHL, racking up 14 points (5G, 9A).
In February, the Senators and Chicago Blackhawks put together a deal that sent DiDomenico to the Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Ville Pokka. Re-joining the Rockford IceHogs organization for the first time since the 2011-2012 season, DiDomenico skated in 22 games in the regular season with 23 points (8G, 15A) scored and helping Rockford qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs after missing last year’s postseason play.
Chris DiDomenico celebrates with his teammates after a goal in Game Four of the Western Conference Semi-Finals. (Courtesy: Todd Reicher)
In the Playoffs, Rockford was able to sweep their way past the Chicago Wolves and Manitoba Moose in the first two rounds before falling in a six-game series to the Texas Stars in the Western Conference Finals. It goes with saying that the IceHogs would not have been able to make their Calder Cup Playoff run and have the success that they did without the contributions of DiDomenico. In 13 postseason games, he racked up 18 points (7G, 11A), setting the IceHogs franchise record for points in the Calder Cup Playoffs and was the AHL postseason points leader up until Game Four of the Calder Cup Final.
He’ll join the SC Langnau Tigers of the National League in Switzerland on a two-year contract with an option for a third season. DiDomenico previously played with the Tigers from 2014-2017, helping them receive a promotion from the B-League in the 2014-15 season to the top tier A-League the next year. In 138 regular season games with the Tigers, he has totaled 139 points (47G, 92A) while also skating in 44 playoff games and scoring 71 points (18G, 53A).