The Globe and Mail

David Aebischer, once considered the heir apparent to Patrick Roy with the Colorado Avalanche, is back where he started his career - in Switzerland.

The Phoenix Coyotes, his current employers, confirmed that Aebischer had been loaned to HC Lugano of Swiss League. The move became necessary after the Coyotes picked up a new No. 1 goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov, from the Anaheim Ducks, bumping ex-Canuck goaltender Alex Auld down to the minors and leaving Aebischer as the No. 4 goalie in the Coyotes' system. The 29-year-old Aebischer signed with the Coyotes as a free agent on July 19 - his contributions to the organization were limited to one-and-only appearance, a loss to Columbus on Oct. 10. 

The Fribourg, Switzerland native was unhappy playing for the San Antonio Rampage, the Coyotes’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, where he posted a 2-3-0 record with a 2.58 goals against average. If this is the end of the trail for Aebischer, he will exit the NHL with  214 career appearances, a 106-74-12-5 record, 13 shutouts, as well as a 2.52 GAA and .912 SV% in seven seasons with Colorado, Montreal and the Coyotes - respectable numbers for sure, but not what the Avalanche hoped when they gave him the first crack at replacing Roy after the latter retired. Maybe Roy's skates were too big to fill.