"Jeff Tambellini has signed a three-year deal to play for Zurich of the Swiss League, where the ex-Canucks winger will be playing for the same ZSC Lions team that his father, Steve, and grandfather, Addie, played for.

He was headhunted immediately following the end of the Canucks' season by former NHL head coach Bob Hartley, who was recently hired by the Swiss club to rebuild it back to the championship level.

Tambellini, 27, whose strong points are speed and work ethic, will be on the team's top line and be expected to be one of their top offensive producers -- a big change from his mostly fourth-line role with Vancouver and his previous stops in the NHL.

"It's great stability and it's a chance to play a different role over there," said Tambellini on Wednesday. "It's on the big ice and playing a lot of minutes. It's going to be a lot of fun and a great opportunity."

His contract and his place on the Swiss team will be guaranteed – unlike in Vancouver, where he signed a two-way deal and spent time in the minors and as a healthy scratch.

Tambellini, a free agent signing by the Canucks a year ago, didn't fit into the team's plans when it became clear Vancouver needs to upgrade its grit and size on the fourth line. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward had 9-8-17 in 62 games and was a plus-10 for Vancouver. He had a good start, but didn't score a goal after Dec. 28. He played six games in the playoffs – including four in the Stanley Cup final -- with no points and was a minus-3. His most memorable was his first career NHL playoff game in Game 6 in Nashville when he caught fleet Martin Erat from behind on a breakaway in the second period with Vancouver clinging to a 2-1 lead. The score held up and the Canucks eliminated the Predators."