The Dundee Stars completed their crease on Sunday [17 August].
Emil Kruse put pen to paper on a one-year contract with the Elite League side, becoming the third netminder to sign in Dundee for 2025-26.
The 30-year-old netminder boasts a wealth of professional experience, spanning a decade in Sweden and Denmark.
“Emil is a standout veteran goalie that brings a wealth of experience to our goaltending team,” said Dundee head coach Marc LeFebvre.
“He and Jarrett [Fiske] will be a great partnership and Emil will also be able to mentor Dominik [Jaglar] throughout the season. He plays with poise and is calm under pressure, which in turn gives the rest of the team a boost.
“We looked at a number of options but kept coming back to Emil due to his competitiveness and elite level of giving his teams a chance to win every night.”
Who is Dundee Stars netminder Emil Kruse?
Kruse arrives in Dundee following two seasons with IK Oskarshamn, who he backstopped in the Swedish Hockey League and Hockey Allsvenskan.
Emil Kruse, Dundee Stars (Image: SHL)
The Karlstad-born netminder recorded an .889 save percentage and a 3.67 goals-against average through 27 SHL appearances in 2023-24, with Oskarshamn relegated to the second division.
He reprised his starting role in the Hockey Allsvenskan, upholding a .902 SV% and a 2.46 GAA in 33 games played last term.
Kruse’s only season outside of Sweden came in 2021-22, when he recorded a 9.10 SV% and a 2.37 GAA in 35 starts for Herning Blue Fox of the Danish top flight.
Will Emil Kruse be the Dundee Stars’ starting netminder in 2025-26?
Kruse will battle it out with the returning Jarrett Sparks for starts in Dundee.
The 6-foot-2 shot-stopper’s Allsvenskan record points to him being a tandem option for the Stars.
Through 212 appearances in Sweden’s second tier he holds a .907 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average.
Emil Kruse, Dundee Stars (Image: SHL)
While those numbers won’t send pulses racing, Kruse has the makings of a solid Elite League goalie.
Kruse’s frame gives him a natural advantage, but he also reads the game well and moves smoothly.
His experience is another key factor.
Fiske is only 24 and made his professional debut for Dundee last term.
While the American impressed in his rookie year, keeping a .913 save percentage behind one of the Elite League’s leakier bluelines, he will benefit from playing alongside a more experienced head.
The same applies for Dundee’s homegrown backup, 2006-born Dominick Jaglar.
All in all, adding Kruse is a shrewd piece of business by the Stars, who now have three netminders, six defenders, and eleven forwards signed for 2025-26.
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