The SHL club HV71 announced on Thursday that they have terminated the contract of Finnish goalie Lassi Lehtinen for the upcoming season. Lehtinen’s new address was confirmed immediately after, namely that IF Björklöven, which is rising to the SHL next season, has made a one-year contract with Lehtinen.

Lehtinen, 27, has played in the SHL for the past three seasons. He played for MoDo Hockey in the first two seasons. Last season, Lehtinen played 22 games for HV71 with a save percentage of 86.8.

– Lassi is a calm and confident goalie who reads the game well and provides security for the defense. He has experience from the Liiga, the national team, and the SHL, and he also has a strong desire for revenge, commented Björklöven’s sports director Per Kenttä in the club’s announcement.

– Last season at HV71 was turbulent for Lassi, but both we and he are convinced that we will find together the level we know he is capable of. We believe that Björklöven is the right environment to get the best out of him, Kenttä continues.

Lehtinen will form a Finnish goalie tandem with Frans Tuohimaa at Björklöven.

In recent years, Lehtinen has also been seen in the jersey of the Lions. He was part of Finland’s World Championship team in 2024. In the Liiga, Lehtinen has represented Lukko and TPS, winning the Finnish championship with Lukko in 2021.

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