NHL issued a command – A harsh loss for Tappara

Tappara’s plans regarding 18-year-old Juho Piiparinen changed when the Vegas Golden Knights called the Finnish defenseman back to North America.

Vegas announced that the player they drafted in the first round, Piiparinen, will join the NHL team’s training camp later this week. Thus, the loan period for the promising defenseman at Tappara comes to an end.

The situation is unfortunate for the Tampere club, as Tappara announced earlier in August that Piiparinen would continue with the team on a loan agreement.

However, Vegas had the option to call the Finnish player, who signed an entry-level contract, back to North America.

– Vegas made an entry-level contract with Piiparinen in the summer, so they have the opportunity to call their contracted player back to North America, Tappara’s GM Janne Vuorinen confirmed in the club’s statement.

Piiparinen’s responsibility in Tappara’s league team has been minimal at the start of the season.

In the season opener against SaiPa, he was on the ice for just under five minutes. In the CHL, Piiparinen appeared in three games, where he averaged 5–11 minutes of playing time per game.

Vegas drafted Piiparinen in the summer NHL draft with the 29th pick and signed a three-year entry-level contract with him in July.

Vegas’ player development director Wil Nichol hinted at the beginning of September that an alternative might be sought for Piiparinen if sufficient playing minutes are not available in Tampere.

One option is the OHL’s London Knights, who hold Piiparinen’s playing rights.

– If he gets the right kind of minutes in Tappara, great. But if not, the London Knights are waiting, and that would also be a great place for him, Nichol said on the NHL’s website.

Piiparinen played 29 regular-season games for Tappara’s league team last season. Additionally, he played for Tappara’s U20 team and the Nokian Pyry team in Mestis.