Henri Nikkanen (born April 28, 2001) is a Finnish ice hockey centre who currently plays for SaiPa in Finland's Liiga. He was formerly a prospect within the Winnipeg Jets organization of the National Hockey League (NHL).
| Henri Nikkanen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
April 28, 2001 Mikkeli, Finland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| Liiga team Former teams |
SaiPa Jukurit Lahti Pelicans | ||
| NHL draft |
113th overall, 2019 Winnipeg Jets | ||
| Playing career | 2018–present | ||
Playing career
editNikkanen began his professional career in Finland's top-tier league, the Liiga, playing for his hometown club, Mikkelin Jukurit, during the 2018–19 Liiga season. As a young prospect, he appeared in nine regular-season games for Jukurit, where he showcased his potential by scoring two goals.[1] His performance and long-term potential drew the attention of NHL scouts, and in the 2019 NHL entry draft, the Winnipeg Jets selected him 113th overall in the fourth round.[2]
On April 15, 2021, Nikkanen departed Jukurit and agreed to a two-year deal with the Lahti Pelicans, another team in the Liiga.[3][4] During the 2021–22 season, he played in 60 games for the Pelicans, recording 7 goals and a total of 12 points.
On April 10, 2022, Nikkanen signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets. Following the agreement, Nikkanen joined the Jets' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, for the remainder of the 2021–22 season.[5]
On December 12, 2024, after tallying four points in 13 games with the Manitoba Moose during the 2024–25 season, Nikkanen was placed on waivers by the Winnipeg Jets to terminate his contract.[6] The next day, he returned to Finland and signed a two-year deal with SaiPa of the Finnish Liiga.[7]
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2016–17 | JYP Jyväskylä | Jr. A | 13 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | JYP Jyväskylä | Jr. A | 50 | 20 | 18 | 38 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | Jukurit | Jr. A | 14 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Jukurit | Liiga | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Ketterä | Mestis | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Jukurit | Jr. A | 28 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Jukurit | Liiga | 27 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Jukurit | Liiga | 47 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Lahti Pelicans | Liiga | 60 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | Manitoba Moose | AHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Manitoba Moose | AHL | 66 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Manitoba Moose | AHL | 57 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | Manitoba Moose | AHL | 13 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | SaiPa | Liiga | 27 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 60 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 31 | ||
| Liiga totals | 170 | 17 | 29 | 46 | 88 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 31 | ||||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
Representing  Finland | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
 | 2021 Canada | |
International
edit
References
edit- ↑ Henri Nikkanen profile - Eurohockey.com
- ↑ "Jets' Henri Nikkanen: Potential steal late in draft". CBS Sports. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
- ↑ "Pelicans announce signings". Lahti Pelicans (in Finnish). 15 April 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ↑ "Henri Nikkanen player profile". Jatkoaika (in Finnish). March 2, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ↑ "Jets sign forwards Henri Nikkanen and Daniel Torgersson to entry-level contracts". National Hockey League. 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
- ↑ "Jets Place Former Fourth-Round Pick On Waivers For The Purpose Of Terminating His Contract". The Hockey News. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
- ↑ "Recently Released Jet Signs In Finland". The Hockey News. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
External links
editBiographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or The Internet Hockey Database