Dokis First Nation member inks contract with Austrian hockey team
By Sam Laskaris
CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND – Troy Lajeunesse is on the move again.
For the third time in as many years, Lajeunesse, a member of Dokis First Nation, will find himself playing professional hockey in a different European country.
Lajeunesse, a 28-year-old forward, has signed on to play the 2025-26 season with HC Tiroler Wasserkraft Innsbruck, a squad based in Austria.
The 13-squad Austrian league is considered a step up from Denmark’s pro circuit. Lajeunesse spent the past season in the Danish league with the Aalborg Pirates. And the year before that, Lajeunesse’s first full season as a pro, he was a member of Scotland’s Fife Flyers.
Lajeunesse said he enjoys the fact he’s been inking one-year deals as a pro with clubs abroad.
“I like it,” he said. “I enjoy doing the one-year thing and then seeing another country the year after. I just get to see all of Europe while I’m there.”
Lajeunesse added there’s another reason why playing in Europe is appealing.
“The cool thing is they have international breaks where all the countries play each other in some qualifiers,” he said. “So, twice a year, we’ll get two weeks off and you can go wherever you want. In Europe, everything’s pretty cheap to travel to because it’s so close.”
Lajeunesse is spending the majority of his off-season in the Prince Edward Island capital of Charlottetown.
He had attended the University of Prince Edward Island, graduating in 2023, but he’ll head to Toronto in July to get married.
He’ll travel to Austria on Aug. 7 with his bride to prepare for the upcoming season.
“We play exhibition games right through August,” Lajeunesse said, adding his Innsbruck club will commence its regular season in September.
Lajeunesse added he plans to continue playing pro hockey in Europe for as long as he can.
“My goal is to just keep moving up the ranks in Europe,” he said. “And if I keep having good seasons, I think I should be able to do that.”
Lajeunesse is hoping he’ll eventually end up playing in one of Europe’s top leagues. Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Switzerland are considered to be four of the top European leagues.
Lajeunesse finished second in Aalborg team scoring this past year, racking up 57 points (26 goals and 31 assists) in 46 regular season matches.
He added 12 points, including eight goals, in a dozen playoff games and helped the Pirates finish in third place in post-season action.
Lajeunesse’s linemate in Aalborg, Darien Craighead, a native of Surrey, B.C., has also signed on with Innsbruck for next year.
“We went there as a package,” Lajeunesse said.
Lajeunesse added he’s not quite sure how long he will continue to play pro hockey.
“I’m not even sure,” he said. “I’m playing it day-by-day right now. It all depends how good I do.”
He graduated from university with a sociology degree, but he’s uncertain when, or if, he might put that to use.
“I haven’t thought that far ahead,” he said. “I’m kind of just hyper-focused on hockey right now. I give it my all on that. And then when that’s done, I’ll start looking for a backup plan.”
Before playing university hockey, Lajeunesse spent four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League. He played three years with the Sarnia Sting, and during his final season, he split his time between the Sudbury Wolves and Erie Otters.
Lajeunesse turned pro after his final university season. He played the final 10 games of the 2022-23 season with the Georgia-based Savannah Ghost Pirates of the ECHL.
But instead of continuing to play minor pro the following season, Lajeunesse took his talents overseas and signed with the Fife club in Scotland.