Kristian Vesalainen
| Kristian Vesalainen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
1 June 1999 Helsinki, Finland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| Liiga team Former teams |
HPK Frölunda HC | ||
| NHL Draft |
24th overall, 2017 Winnipeg Jets | ||
| Playing career | 2015–present | ||
Kristian Vesalainen (born 1 June 1999) is a Finnish ice hockey forward currently playing for HPK 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 August 27, 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 April 28, 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 June 23, 2017.[3]
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 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| SHL totals | 45 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||
International
| 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 | WJC18 |  |
7 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | |
| 2017 | Finland | WJC18 |  |
7 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 8 | |
| 2017 | Finland | WJC | 9th | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 36 | 16 | 18 | 34 | 22 | ||||
References
- ↑ "Kristian Vesalainen player profile" (in Swedish). Swedish Hockey League. 2015-11-02. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
- ↑ "HPK announce nine new agreements" (in Finnish). HPK. 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
- ↑ "Highly coveted Vesalainen drafted with 24th overall pick". Winnipeg Jets. 2017-06-23. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Logan Stanley |
Winnipeg Jets first round draft pick 2017 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |