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Former Penguin Dustin Tokarski leaves Löwen Frankfurt to join HK Olimpija Ljubljana, third team in 2025-26
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Dustin Tokarski's suitcase is packed again, the ex Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender unexpectedly bolts Löwen Frankfurt for HK Olimpija Ljubljana.
Tokarski, 36, is leaving Germany's DEL for Slovenia's ICEHL, and it happened fast.
It's the kind of move that makes you double-check the date, then shrug and say, yep, that's "Suitcase" Tokarski.
This is already his third stop of the 2025-26 season.
He opened the year on a pro tryout with the Grand Rapids Griffins, looking for a foothold in the AHL.
Then Frankfurt grabbed him in December, using an import slot to stabilize the crease.
Now he's flipping leagues again, from a bigger German market to a club in Ljubljana that clearly wanted help right now.
That's the part that surprises me most, Frankfurt didn't feel like a quick cameo when he arrived.
Tokarski was a 2008 fifth-round pick, 122nd overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning, and he's spent his whole career proving he can parachute into chaos.
Dustin Tokarski keeps the Pittsburgh Penguins suitcase reputation
Penguins fans have seen this movie, he shows up, competes hard, and then the next chapter hits before you blink.
For Olimpija, it's a classic bet on experience between the pipes when games tighten up.
For Tokarski, it's a straight line to opportunity, new room, new system, new chance to own the net.
It also fits the late-career reality for goalies, you chase starts, not comfort.
Penguins diehards will remember his calm stretches in black and gold, even if the tenure was brief.
Call it another stamp on the passport, but it's also a reminder that his career has always been about staying ready.
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