LYNNWOOD — Dominic Zwerger is used to being away from home.
The Dornbirn, Austria native was playing in Switzerland in 2013 when the Spokane Chiefs took him in the second round of the CHL import draft.
Zwerger knew nothing about Spokane — only that he considered the CHL the best junior hockey league in the world. So he packed up and headed west.
Way west.
“(Spokane) is basically my second home,” Zwerger said. “I lived there for three-and-a-half years with the same billets and everything. They’re like my second family there and I probably will always go back there later on in life.”
Zwerger now has a third home after the Everett Silvertips acquired the 20-year-old for a 2017 third-round bantam pick in a deal announced Sunday. He flew in from Spokane on Monday and skated with his new teammates for the first time Tuesday at Lynnwood Ice Center.
“I was pretty surprised when I heard the news, but on the other side I was pretty excited to come to Everett to play in the U.S. Division,” Zwerger said. “That was a huge part for me to stay in the U.S. (Division). I love the U.S. and I’m looking forward to playing.”
The Chiefs entered the 2016-17 preseason with five overage candidates for three spots. After trading Zwerger, Spokane is down to three.
“It’s still unbelievably tough to say goodbye to those guys, but we knew two guys had to go,” Zwerger said. “It just happened to be me. I’m just happy I found a team, I found a really good team and I’m looking forward to playing here this season.”
The Tips entered the preseason with three overage candidates, but opened up a spot by releasing Brandon Ralph during training camp.
But that wasn’t the only caveat. Because Zwerger is a “two-spotter” — meaning he occupies one of three overage slots and one of two Euro spots — the Tips had to release Slovakian forward Mario Mucka.
Zwerger will be expected to step in and bolster an Everett offense that scored the second fewest goals in the WHL last season. He scored 60 goals with 59 assists in 189 regular-season games with the Chiefs and added four goals and three assists in 16 playoff games. Zwerger led Spokane in goals last season with 27.
As a left winger he could wind up on the top line with center Matt Fonteyne and right wing Patrick Bajkov.
Zwerger’s first day began with a team meeting and video session. The Silvertips’ systems are notoriously detailed and head coach Kevin Constantine says it can take anywhere from three to eight weeks to pick up on the intricacies, so Zwerger has some ground to make up.
His first on-ice chance came during Tuesday’s lengthy practice in Lynnwood where the Tips will skate this week as the Everett Fall Home Show takes over Xfinity Arena.
“(The Silvertips) are a real structured team,” Zwerger said. “They’re hard to play against. You don’t get many goals against them. They get decent coverage and everything. They’re pretty structured and I think if we keep that up we’ll be a pretty good team.”
The Tips are off to a good start at 2-0 with a pair of victories over the Vancouver Giants last weekend. But Zwerger is angling for more after three straight first-round playoff exits with the Chiefs — including a six-game loss to Everett in 2015.
“That team made it to the second round of the playoffs the last two years and that’s definitely something to look forward to,” Zwerger said. “The playoffs are always a huge thing.”
For the latest Silvertips news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter @jessegeleynse.
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