Olli Juolevi is heading to a southwestern city to play some hockey in 2017-18.
It just isn’t a city in southwestern Ontario.
Juolevi is heading to southwestern Finland. To Turko, where he will play for a former Vancouver Canucks’ defenceman, Sami Salo, who coaches TPS Turku.
The Canucks made the move official on Twitter today:
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Juolevi is at a point where a number of hockey players find themselves. Every sign points to the idea that they are ready for the next step in their career, but something just isn’t where it needs to be. And that is new for someone as dedicated to his craft as Olli Juolevi.
Everything has always gone very smoothly every time he has strapped on skates.
Juolevi didn’t ever look like a rookie in junior hockey. He jumped right into a veteran lineup and played a large role in the London Knights’ 2016 Memorial Cup championship. He also won gold with Finland at the World Junior Hockey Championship, setting a record for most assists by a 17-year-old defenceman. Juolevi was able to play on the biggest junior hockey stages and his stock rocketed up the NHL prospect rankings, and the Canucks, looking for a franchise defenceman, nabbed him fifth overall.
- Things moved along well for Juolevi after that. He had another solid season with the Knights. His point totals remained the same, which was probably a testament to how steady a player he is. Finland iced a much younger roster at the World Juniors and had a tough tournament, but Juolevi went all the way to Game 7 of the second round of the OHL Playoffs, before the Knights lost to the eventual OHL champions. At the end of the season, he turned his attention to the Canucks and the opportunity to make their team in 2017-18.
Only, training camp and the pre-season do not go well for Juolevi. From the 9-4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights to begin their exhibition schedule to the relentless chatter among fans about whether or not Vancouver should have selected Joulevi’s London Teammate, Matthew Tkachuk in the draft. Ultimately, the Canucks decide that Juolevi is not going to start the season as part of their 23-man roster. Since he was selected while playing major junior, Juolevi is subject to the CHL-NHL agreement and cannot play in the AHL as a 19-year-old. The Canucks could have sent him back to London, but by the rules, he would have to remain there until the Knights’ season officially ended. Vancouver decided to explore some additional options.
They were able to make the paperwork and the international transfer agreement work and Juolevi is heading a whole lot closer to his home in Helsinki. He will be less than a two-hour drive away.
Juolevi will get a chance to play with Petrus Palmu who did not return to Owen Sound for an over-age season and who is also property of the Canucks.
That door has now been closed on the London Knights. With Brandon Crawley signing an entry-level contract with the New York Rangers, it would appear they are ready to give him a season in Hartford of the American Hockey League.
Victor Mete survived Tuesday cuts in Montreal.
Ottawa Senators’ head coach Guy Boucher was quoted as saying Alex Formenton of the Knights and Logan Brown of the Windsor Spitfires “…are here to stay… for now.”
The other question mark for London is a player who has only played one pre-season game. Jesper Bratt has brought New Jersey Devils’ fans out of their seats a few times in the pre-season and they feel he has earned the right to start the year in the NHL.
So, the Knights are left waiting. Some of those players could still return. NHL teams have nine games to decide before a year of a player’s contract kicks in.
For now, London is focused on the Soo Greyhounds who will be at Budweiser Gardens on Friday night, a day after Mete and Formenton’s possible NHL debuts.
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