EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers have signed defenceman Markus Niemelainen to a two-year entry-level contract.
Niemelainen, 21, posted seven points (one goal, six assists) in 55 games last season with Assat in the SM-Liiga, Finland’s top professional league.
He played his first two seasons in the SM-Liiga with HPK, helping them capture the championship in 2019.
The six-foot-six, 190-pound defenceman registered 15 points (three goals, 12 assists), 74 penalty minutes and a minus-13 plus-minus rating over three seasons in the SM-Liiga.
Niemelainen also played with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit from 2015-2017.
A native of Kuopio, Finland, Niemelainen represented his home country at the 2015 and 2016 world U18 hockey championships, winning a gold medal (2015) and a silver (2016).
Niemelainen was Edmonton's third round draft pick, 63rd overall, at the 2016 NHL draft.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2020.
The Canadian Press