Niko Huuhtanen’s hockey career continues in North America. The power forward signed an NHL rookie contract with Tampa Bay.
In the ranks of Mikkeli’s Jukurs, he was among the best players in the SM league in the season that ended Niko Huuhtanen hockey career continues in North America. The Espoo Blues graduate signed an NHL rookie contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The matter was confirmed to Urheilu on Saturday from the player’s close circle.
Head coach in a Jukurit shirt Olli Jokinen Huuhtanen, who took giant leaps in his studies, is currently in the ranks of Lightning’s AHL farm team Syracuse Crunch. He is Tampa’s 7th round pick from the summer 2021 draft. Last spring, another Finnish winger, Tapparan, signed an NHL rookie contract with the Lightning Walter Merelä.
As a junior, Huuhtanen played one season in the WHL league in the Everett Silvertips, 2020-2021.
Huuhtanen, who started his league career in Tappara, has played through all of Finland’s junior national teams with honors and made his debut in the men’s national team this season as well. The 20-year-old Huuhtanen, who shoots from the right, achieved incredible results of 19+27 in the SM league regular season this season. His player agent is the ISA company, which is part of the Finnish elite in the field Ilkka Larva.
Huuhtanen’s rookie contract is for three seasons. The salary is a maximum of 925,000 dollars per season, if the level is enough to play continuously in the NHL. More money can typically be obtained from the signing bonus of the contract and by fulfilling the level requirements recorded in the contract, for example power points.
If the career continues in the AHL, the income level is typically only about 10 percent of the maximum rookie NHL income level.