LINKÖPING, Sweden – Linköpings HC announced the signing of former junior national team player Andreas Jämtin.

Jämtin left Swedish champion HV71 Jönköping for the New York Rangers organization in the off-season, but hasn’t had luck overseas. The Rangers sent him to its AHL affiliate Hartford Whalers after just one pre-season game. He played four games no points and was sent to the ECHL’s Charlotte Checkers where he had three goals and two assists in five games.

The 25-year-old winger signed a two-year contract with Linköping.

Except the 2005-2006 season in Finland for TPS Turku, Jämtin was always in Sweden, where the Stockholm native played for Färjestad Karlstad, AIK Stockholm and in the last five years, HV71 Jönköping.

“The LHC fans haven’t really loved me in the last years but I hope they give me a chance and I will give everything for LHC,” Jämtin says.

“He’s the type of player we wanted,” said sport director Johan Hemlin. “Besides being a checking forward, he’s also a very good hockey player who played in the national team and had 20-25 points for several consecutive seasons.”

Jämtin will make the move to the Swedish Elitserien next week. However, he is not eligible to play in the 2008-2009 Champions Hockey League.