NHL: Rare trade - the last time a Finnish player was involved in a similar trade

The New York Rangers and New York Islanders made a trade in the NHL. Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy moved to the Islanders, while in return, the Rangers received a 3rd round draft pick for the upcoming summer draft.

Soucy, 31, played 46 games for the Rangers this season, scoring 3+5 points. His contract, which guarantees a $3.25 million annual salary, is valid until the end of this season.

This was a rare trade, as the Rangers and Islanders had only made three trades historically before this. The last time the local rivals made a trade was in 2010, when the Rangers acquired Finnish defenseman Jyri Niemi from the Islanders in exchange for a 6th round draft pick.

Niemi, 35, is a retired defenseman. He was the Islanders’ 3rd round pick (#72) in 2008. Niemi did not play any NHL games in his career. He played 65 games in the AHL and 67 games in the ECHL.

After his years in North America, Niemi played six seasons in Liiga representing HPK, Ilves, KooKoo, and Sport. His last season was 2018-19, which he spent with Sport. After his playing career, Niemi has worked as an assistant coach for the juniors of Ässät and Lukko.