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With the Condors’ season having been grounded, Lavoie has instead made his professional debut on the unfamiliar wide ice of Sweden. After a brief trial with Rogle BK of the SHL, he wound up signing with Vasby IK HK of the Swedish second division, Hockey Allsvenskan. That’s the same loop where fellow Oilers’ prospects Evan Bouchard and William Lagesson have been plying their trade.
To this point Vasby has been the worst team in the loop, currently sitting 14th and last with a 2-8-1 record and a ghastly -24 goal differential based on 20 goals for, 44 against. Ugh.
The good news is that Lavoie, their youngest player who turned 20 just as the season got underway, is leading the team in goals and points with 6-2-8 through 11 GP. No longer a man amongst boys, Lavoie has looked very much in his element as a man amongst men.
Granted Hockey Allsvenskan is a cut below the AHL in quality, but it is still a tougher league than QMJHL. NHL point equivalencies suggest it’s about 20% tougher to score in the Swedish pro league.
Not that it’s been that tough for Lavoie to score, judging by his 6 goals in his last 8 games. It took him until Game 4 to find the range, but he did so in dramatic fashion, scoring the tying and winning goals in a third period comeback that saw Vasby notch their first win of the season, 3-1. [video highlights]
He followed up with another brace a few days later on a pair of snipes from the left circle:
