Jokerit came in second - HIFK made a raid from North America!

HIFK has strengthened its offense by signing a two-year contract with Eetu Liukas. The 23-year-old forward returns to Finland from North America, where he played the last three seasons in the AHL with the Bridgeport Islanders.

Liukas is a product of TPS and made his Liiga debut with the Turku team. In the 2022–23 season, he played 58 regular-season games with HPK, scoring 14+9=23 points.

In North America, Liukas played 123 AHL games, achieving 13+15=28 points.

During his Liiga years, Liukas became known for his physical and relentless playing style. As a power forward, he did not shy away from contact, as evidenced by his last season with HPK, where he accumulated over 100 penalty minutes.

– My identity is such that I don’t think I’m the nicest guy in the rink from the opponent’s perspective. I want to play very physically and be the player who is noticed on the ice, Liukas described himself in a press release.

– My strength is playing in both directions. I strive to be responsible in both offensive and defensive play. There is potential to also produce results in the offensive direction.

Liukas states that he aims to return to North America and secure a spot on the men’s national team, where he already appeared during his HPK season. One key reason for moving to Helsinki was head coach Olli Jokinen.

Jokinen sees a lot of potential in the new signing.

– Eetu is a power forward. An extremely talented, straightforward player who enjoys tight spaces and small gaps.

Iltalehti’s Lätkäpodin reports that Liukas attracted widespread interest in Liiga before his contract. According to journalist Timo Kunnari, several teams were after the forward, and both Jokerit and TPS also held negotiations with him, but HIFK ultimately came out on top.