He made his debut in the NHL on Sunday.
AHL Ville Koivunen, 21, the NHL team has been selected for the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup. Koivunen, who started hockey in Kärp in Oulu, at the age of 4, announced that he was aiming for the world’s toughest hockey league in the NHL. The dream of a decisive Oulu childhood will come true on Sunday when Pittsburgh meets Ottawa in his home hall.
– From a very young age, I have dreamed that sometimes I can play in the NHL, says Ville Koivunen.
As a bonus of NHL dreams, Koivunen gets to play in the same line-up for his great idol Sidney Crosby with.
– It’s cool when it’s still a tommy guy as Crosby in the same team.
Koivunen, who plays a real winger, has played a great season for the AHL team WBS (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) in the Penguins. He has made 21 +34 power this season and is sixth on the AHL points exchange.
-The success of the AHL season has been influenced by a good team and of course good chain buddies. I have been able to play with my own strengths and through this have come.
Carolina Hurricanes booked Koivunen’s 2021 NHL in the second round with a 51. Koivunen seasonal salary for the first two NHL seasons is $ 750,000. The seasonal salary in the AHL is significantly lower.
Koivunen is looking forward to the NHL debut.
– Certainly it is a memorable and very clean experience.
Koivunen caught good power in the league
Koivunen still played a loan of 2021-22 with a loan agreement in Kärp in Oulu. In the Finnish League, he made his debut in September 2021 against JYP, scoring his first match in his first match.
During his opening season, Koivunen played 53 regular season matches in the league, making power points 11+18. He won the newcomer regular season point and feed market.
In 2023, Koivunen joined the AHL team Chicago Wolves. However, Hurricanes lent him to Kärppi for the season 2023-24 and Koivunen was a member of the Kärppi bronze team, making 56 power points in the regular season.
Prior to the closure of the NHL transfer window, Koivunen’s player rights moved from Carolina to Pittsburgh.
In April 2024, Koivunen moved to the Pittsburgh farm team WBS Penguins, where he was now raised to the NHL team Pittsburgh lineup.
Father of Ville Koivunen, Petri Koivunen once played hockey at junior level and his mother Riitta Koivunen Serves as team leader in Oulu Kärppi. Parents fly from Finland to Pittsburgh to watch their son’s Sunday game.
In 2021, Koivunen played at the Under-18 World Cup, catching 5+6. A year later, he participated in the Finnish under-20 team to win the World Championship silver.
Koivunen made his debut in Leijon in November 2023. He has played two A-matches without power points.