Sorenson switches sweaters, leaves Kazakhstan for Switzerland
Tanner Sorenson
The different styles of play in each country are as wide ranging as the different languages people speak.
Through it all, though, Sorenson has made it work on the ice.
The 25-year-old is coming off a career-best offensive season with Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk in Kazakhstan and has seen his points-per-game average increase in each of his first three seasons at the professional level.
“Last year hockey wise was a good season, but being the competitive animals we are, we always think we can do better,” Sorenson told me.
The former Michigan State University star this winter will try his luck in a new league, in a new country, after signing with EHC Winterthur in Switzerland.
In Kazakhstan, he posted 17 goals, 14 assists and 31 points in 45 games during which he finished with a career-high +13 plus/minus and 0.69 points per game.
It’s the third straight season the forward has increased his points-per-game average. In his first two seasons in the ECHL with the Kalamazoo Wings, his averages were 0.61 and 0.46, respectively.
As a college player, his career average was 0.33.
“It’s funny how different each country and league are,” he said.
“The ECHL is a tough physical game, where time and space are a limited option and you’re always looking to attack.
“Hockey in Russia is a more open ice game due to the bigger ice sheet and guys will look to regroup or reattack if they don’t have anything instead of chipping and chasing.
“With the Swiss hockey game, it appears everyone can skate like the wind here and look to try to play a more attack style game, but again, you have the bigger ice sheet, so the game is a lot more open and time is a thing you cherish.”
Sorenson has bagged 52-51—103 scoring totals in 176 career pro games.