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Saku Mäenalanen

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Saku Mäenalanen
Mäenalanen with Oulun Kärpät in 2014
Born (1994-05-29) 29 May 1994 (age 30)
Tornio, Finland
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 192 lb (87 kg; 13 st 10 lb)
Position Right wing
Shoots Left
NL team
Former teams		 SCL Tigers
Oulun Kärpät
Lahti Pelicans
Carolina Hurricanes
Jokerit
Winnipeg Jets
National team  Finland
NHL draft 125th overall, 2013
Nashville Predators
Playing career 2013–present

Saku Mäenalanen (born 29 May 1994) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who is currently under contract with the SCL Tigers of the National League (NL). Mäenalanen was selected by the Nashville Predators in the fifth round (125th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

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Mäenalanen played junior hockey within the Oulun Kärpät organization. Following his selection in the NHL draft by the Predators, he made his professional debut in the Liiga with Oulun Kärpät during the 2013–14 season.

Unsigned by the Nashville Predators, Mäenalanen continued in the Liiga with Oulun Kärpät, also enduring a shortened loan stint with fellow Liiga club, Lahti Pelicans in the 2014–15 season.[1]

In the 2017–18 season, Mäenalanen enjoyed a breakout season totaling 17 goals and 46 points in 59 games, ranking 11th among scorers in Liiga. He added 10 points postseason, helping Oulun capture the league championship. On 18 May 2018, Mäenalanen gained NHL interest and signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. In signing with the Hurricanes, he was reunited with former Finnish junior teammate, Sebastian Aho.[2]

Mäenalanen began the 2018–19 season with the Hurricanes American Hockey League affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. He was recalled to the NHL on 6 December after playing in 23 games and recording 11 points for the Checkers.[3] He made his NHL debut the following day in a 4–1 win over the Anaheim Ducks.[4] He recorded his first NHL goal on 8 January in a 4–3 win over the New York Islanders.[5]

As a restricted free agent after his first North American season, Mäenalanen could not agree to terms with the Hurricanes on a new contract. With his rights still held by the Hurricanes, Mäenalanen opted to return to his native Finland to resume his career in the KHL. He agreed to an optional two-year contract with Jokerit on 25 September 2019.[6]

After two seasons with Jokerit, Mäenalanen returned to his original Finnish club, Oulun Kärpät of the Liiga, agreeing to a three-year contract on 11 June 2021.[7] In his first season back with Kärpät in 2021–22, Mäenalanen led the team in scoring with 13 goals and 28 assists for 41 points in 47 games.

On 19 July 2022, Mäenalanen enacted an NHL opt-out clause in the off-season by signing a one-year, two-way contract with the Winnipeg Jets. Mäenalanen successfully made the Jets opening night roster out of training camp to open the 2022–23 season. Used predominately in a fourth-line defensive forward role, Mäenalanen appeared in an NHL career best 64 regular season games and added 4 goals and 10 points. He contributed with 1 assist through 5 playoff games in a first-round defeat to the Vegas Golden Knights.

As a free agent from the Jets in the following off-season, Mäenalanen was unable to secure an NHL contract over the summer. He was later signed to a professional tryout contract by the Colorado Avalanche, however failed the physical at training camp and was subsequently released on 20 September 2023.[8][9]

The following day from his release, Mäenalanen returned to continue his career in Europe, agreeing to a three-year contract with Swiss club, SCL Tigers of the NL, on 21 September 2023.[10]

International play

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Medal record
Representing  Finland
Ice hockey
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Beijing
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Finland
Silver medal – second place 2021 Latvia
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Malmö

Maenalanen made his senior debut for Finland at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. In a fifth-place finish, he posted two goals and three assists in 8 contests.

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2010–11 Kiekko–Laser FIN.3 U18 Q 8 14 12 26 10 — — — — —
2010–11 Kiekko–Laser FIN.3 U18 18 13 26 39 10 — — — — —
2010–11 Kärpät FIN U18 1 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2011–12 Kärpät FIN U18 Q 12 2 7 9 36 — — — — —
2011–12 Kärpät FIN U18 32 13 29 42 40 9 7 3 10 2
2012–13 Kärpät Jr. A 45 23 35 58 43 5 5 2 7 18
2013–14 Kärpät Jr. A 5 3 3 6 2 12 4 4 8 10
2013–14 Kärpät Liiga 25 4 3 7 0 — — — — —
2013–14 Jokipojat Mestis 15 9 6 15 4 — — — — —
2014–15 Kärpät Jr. A 6 2 6 8 2 — — — — —
2014–15 Kärpät Liiga 20 4 1 5 2 7 0 1 1 0
2014–15 Pelicans Liiga 8 1 0 1 0 — — — — —
2014–15 Hokki Mestis 17 5 8 13 6 10 2 4 6 22
2015–16 Kärpät Liiga 46 6 10 16 14 13 3 1 4 6
2016–17 Kärpät Liiga 34 11 10 21 6 2 0 0 0 0
2017–18 Kärpät Liiga 59 17 29 46 26 18 5 5 10 16
2018–19 Charlotte Checkers AHL 31 7 7 14 8 — — — — —
2018–19 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 34 4 4 8 20 9 0 1 1 6
2019–20 Jokerit KHL 26 5 4 9 8 6 2 3 5 6
2020–21 Jokerit KHL 38 4 8 12 48 4 0 0 0 0
2021–22 Kärpät Liiga 47 13 28 41 67 7 1 0 1 4
2022–23 Winnipeg Jets NHL 64 4 6 10 16 5 0 1 1 12
2023–24 SCL Tigers NL 44 11 9 20 40 — — — — —
Liiga totals 239 56 81 137 115 47 9 7 16 26
NHL totals 98 8 10 18 36 14 0 2 2 18
KHL totals 64 9 12 21 56 10 2 3 5 6

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2014 Finland WJC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 7 4 11 0
2018 Finland WC 5th 8 2 1 3 8
2021 Finland WC 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 10 1 3 4 0
2022 Finland OG 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 0 1 1 2
2022 Finland WC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 9 2 0 2 29
2024 Finland WC 8th 7 1 1 2 2
Junior totals 7 7 4 11 0
Senior totals 40 6 6 12 41

Awards and honours

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Award Year
Jr. A SM-liiga
All-Star Team 2012–13 [11]
Liiga
Kanada-malja (Oulun Kärpät) 2018

References

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  1. ^ "Maenalanen loaned to Pelicans" (in Finnish). Oulun Kärpät. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  2. ^ "Canes sign Maenalanen to one-year contract". Carolina Hurricanes. 18 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  3. ^ "Canes Recall Maenalanen from Charlotte". NHL.com. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Hurricanes snap Ducks' five-game win streak". tsn.ca. 8 December 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2018. made his NHL debut for Carolina after Staal was sidelined for the first time this season due to a concussion.
  5. ^ Brian Compton (8 January 2019). "Hurricanes edge Islanders for fifth straight victory". NHL.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Saku Maenalanen in Jokerit" (in Finnish). Jokerit. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  7. ^ "Saku Maenalanen returns to Karpat" (in Finnish). Oulun Kärpät. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Former Jets' forward Saku Maenalanen signs PTO with the Colorado Avalanche". The Hockey News. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Saku Maenalanen fails physical". CBS Sports. 20 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Finnish Olympian Saku Mäenalanen signs with SCL" (in German). SCL Tigers. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  11. ^ "All-Star Team announced". eliteprospects.com. 5 April 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
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