HC Bern has signed a goalie with NHL experience. © Elmeri Elo/Elon Kuvaus

Foxes sign replacement for injured Vallini

HCB Südtirol Alperia finalized the signing of Finnish goaltender Christopher Gibson on Thursday. He will replace Gianluca Vallini for the duration of the latter's injury. The 32-year-old Gibson, a highly experienced and reliable goalie with 16 NHL and 254 AHL appearances, has signed a contract until the beginning of February.

18 December 2025

From: pm

Christopher Gibson was born in Karkkila, Finland. His father, Peter—an artist and kickboxer from the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia—and his Finnish mother, Ulla Nurse, moved with him to Espoo, where he grew up. At the age of 15, Gibson moved to Saskatchewan and attended Notre Dame College.

In 2011, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round, 42nd overall. He later joined the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and made his AHL debut in 2013 with their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. The following season, he established himself as a regular starter there, posting a .92,1 save percentage in 45 regular-season games. In 2015, Gibson was part of a trade to the New York Islanders, where he also made his NHL debut. After an initial appearance as a backup, he made his first start on April 6, 2016, recording 29 saves and a victory that secured the Islanders' playoff berth. Over five years, he played 14 NHL games for New York and was also the starting goaltender for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in the AHL.

Another memorable date is March 11, 2018: With 50 saves against the Calgary Flames, Gibson became the first rookie goaltender since Billy Smith in 1972 to achieve this feat in a single NHL game. After his contract expired in 2020, Gibson became a free agent and played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Seattle Kraken organizations in the following years. He made two more NHL appearances – the season Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup – and played in the AHL for the Syracuse Crunch, Charlotte Checkers, and Coachella Valley Firebirds. After concluding his North American career with a save percentage of 91,0% in the AHL and 90,1% in the NHL, he returned to Finland in 2023 and played for Lukko in the Liiga. Last season, he first played in Slovakia for HC Nové Zámky and then for Kassel in the DEL2.

This is what Gibson says about his involvement with HCB

“I’m overjoyed to be joining this team,” Gibson explained. “I’ve only heard positive things about both the club and the city, so when the call came, it was an easy decision. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone in the next few days and getting on the ice with my new teammates.”