Wisconsin goaltender Daniel Lebedeff is leaving the Badgers after two seasons to sign a two-year pro contract with HPK Hämeenlinna in his native Finland.
According to the Wisconsin State Journal, Lebedeff said not knowing if there will be a 2020-21 college hockey season due to the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in making his decision.
“Coach (Tony Granato) gave me a chance to come back to fight for the position but coming back just didn’t feel right for me,” Lebedeff said in the article.
“For Daniel’s position, yeah, he could have found a way to be a No. 1 again,” Granato added. “But he wasn’t going to have the net like we gave it to him the last two years. It was going to be a competition.”
Last season, Lebedeff went 12-14-0 with a 3.56 GAA, a .892 save percentage and one shutout. In 2018-19, he fashioned an 11-12-2 mark with a 3.42 GAA, .893 save percentage and a shutout.
