Kristian Vesalainen

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Kristian Vesalainen
File:Kristian Vesalainen (51833140091) (cropped).jpg
Vesalainen with the Winnipeg Jets in 2022
Born (1999-06-01) 1 June 1999 (age 25)
Helsinki, Finland
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 207 lb (94 kg; 14 st 11 lb)
Position Left wing
Shoots Left
Liiga team
Former teams		 HIFK
Frölunda HC
HPK
Oulun Kärpät
Winnipeg Jets
Jokerit
Malmö Redhawks
NHL Draft 24th overall, 2017
Winnipeg Jets
Playing career 2015–present

Kristian Vesalainen (born 1 June 1999) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward HIFK of the Finnish Liiga. Vesalainen was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, 24th overall, in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

Vesalainen originally played as a youth in his native Finland, appearing up to the Junior A level with HIFK before opting to continue his development in Sweden with Frölunda HC on 27 August 2015. Vesalainen made his professional debut at the senior level with Frölunda in the Swedish Hockey League during the 2015–16 season.[1] After an initial loan period to return to Finland during the 2016–17 season with HPK of the Liiga, Vesalainen made his move permanent in agreeing to a one-year deal with HPK on 28 April 2017.[2] In his first year of eligibility, Vesalainen was selected in the first round, 24th overall, by the Winnipeg Jets at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft on 23 June 2017.[3]

In the 2017–18 season, despite his age Vesalainen impressively secured a top line role with HPK. With the club out of playoff contention and while leading the HPK in scoring with 19 goals and 39 points, Vesalainen was loaned for the remainder of the season to league leaders Oulun Kärpät on 21 February 2018.[4] Kärpät would eventually win the Liiga championship, with Vesalainen scoring 8 points in 18 playoff games. On 26 August 2018, Vesalainen signed a three-year, $4.476 million entry-level contract with the Jets,[5] which included an out clause that would permit him to play in Europe during the 2018–19 season if he did not make the team's roster during the training camp.[6]

Vesalainen made his NHL debut on 4 October 2018 in a 5–1 win over the St. Louis Blues. He played 8:12 minutes of ice time and earned one assist.[7] On 22 November, the Jets assigned Vesalainen to Jokerit of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).[8][9]

On 21 October 2020, Vesalainen returned to HPK on loan from the Winnipeg Jets, until the commencement of the delayed North American 2020–21 season.[10] In the following 2021–22 season, Vesalainen scored his first NHL goal against the Nashville Predators on 23 October 2021.[11] He appeared in a career best 53 regular season games with the Jets, totalling just 3 points, before he was re-assigned to close out the season with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL.

As an impending restricted free agent with the Jets, Vesalainen chose to return to Europe by signing a one-year contract with Swedish club, Malmö Redhawks of the SHL, on 23 May 2022.[12] He opted to return to his home country in November that same year.[13]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2014–15 HIFK Jr. A 17 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0
2015–16 Frölunda HC J20 37 15 19 34 0 1 0 1 1 0
2015–16 Frölunda HC SHL 19 1 1 2 0 5 0 0 0 2
2016–17 Frölunda HC J20 10 4 0 4 14 5 2 1 3 0
2016–17 Frölunda HC SHL 26 1 5 6 2 1 0 0 0 0
2016–17 HPK Liiga 9 1 0 1 0 — — — — —
2017–18 HPK Liiga 44 19 20 39 6 — — — — —
2017–18 Oulun Kärpät Liiga 5 3 1 4 0 18 4 4 8 14
2018–19 Winnipeg Jets NHL 5 0 1 1 0 — — — — —
2018–19 Manitoba Moose AHL 22 4 9 13 10 — — — — —
2018–19 Jokerit KHL 31 6 11 17 0 6 1 0 1 4
2019–20 Manitoba Moose AHL 60 12 18 30 10 — — — — —
2020–21 HPK Liiga 10 4 4 8 4 — — — — —
2020–21 Manitoba Moose AHL 6 1 4 5 0 — — — — —
2020–21 Winnipeg Jets NHL 12 0 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 0
2021–22 Winnipeg Jets NHL 53 2 1 3 6 — — — — —
2021–22 Manitoba Moose AHL 17 3 3 6 6 2 0 0 0 0
Liiga totals 68 27 25 52 10 18 4 4 8 14
NHL totals 70 2 3 5 6 4 0 0 0 0

International

Medal record
Representing  Finland
Ice hockey
IIHF World U18 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2016 United States
Silver medal – second place 2017 Slovakia
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2014 Finland U17 4th 6 3 2 5 4
2015 Finland IH18 4th 5 0 0 0 0
2015 Finland U17 5th 5 4 4 8 4
2016 Finland U18 1st 7 2 4 6 6
2017 Finland U18 2nd 7 6 7 13 8
2017 Finland WJC 9th 6 1 1 2 0
2018 Finland WJC 6th 5 2 4 6 2
Junior totals 41 18 22 40 24

References

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  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Winnipeg Jets first round draft pick
2017		 Succeeded by
Ville Heinola
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