It’s official — the Paul Thompson era has arrived in South Wales, with defenceman Tyson Helgesen joining the Cardiff Devils from HC Ferencvarosi for 2025-26.
“I feel we need to add some size and presence to our back end,” newly-appointed Thompson said of the 6-foot-3 blueliner.
“Tyson plays a hard nosed game and competes at a high level. The reports we had on Tyson are that he’s a great teammate and leader who always has his teammates’ back.
“The Cardiff Devils teams I remember being successful had a specific identity of being tough to play against all over the ice. We want a hard-working team with the skill to back it up. Tyson is going to be a big part of our identity this season.”
Who is Cardiff Devils defenceman Tyson Helgesen?
Helgesen arrives in the Elite League ahead of his fifth professional season, following stints in the Erste Liga (Hungary) and the ECHL (North America).
The 27-year-old made 39 appearances for Ferencvarosi last term, registering nine points (three goals, six assists) and 141 penalty minutes.
Before his switch to Europe, the Alberta-born blueliner played parts of three seasons with the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush, for whom he recorded 41 points (eight goals, 33 assists) and 277 penalty minutes in 151 games played.
Tyson Helgesen, Mount Royal University (Image: USports)
Helgesen, a product of the Western Hockey League, closed out his junior career as captain of the Spokane Chiefs, tallying 101 points (18 goals, 83 assists) and 275 penalty minutes in 263 appearances.
Mount Royal University was his final pre-professional stop, amassing 27 points (three goals, 24 assists) through three seasons of USports action.
Analysis: How will Tyson Helgesen help the Cardiff Devils’ title push?
If there was ever any doubt about the style of hockey that Paul Thompson’s Cardiff Devils will play, the signing of Tyson Helgesen wipes it clean.
The Devils will play hard-hitting, aggressive hockey next term — and Helgesen’s addition is a key part of that.
It isn’t always the case, but the 27-year-old’s stat-line tells the story of his career pretty well.
Wherever his career has taken him, he almost always leads his team in penalty minutes — which is a euphemism for saying that he fights. Often.
Despite showing some offensive upside while in the WHL, Helgesen has since fully committed to playing a simple, one-way defensive style.
When the puck finds its way to the Canadian’s stick, he quickly passes to more creative teammates.
Players of Helgesen’s ilk are either boom or bust in the Elite League — they become instant fan favourites or they take their physical style too far and become more of a hinderance than a help.
However it pans out for Helgesen in Cardiff, the Devils have made a statement of intent with his signing.
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