The league’s young Finnish star is heading to North America.
HPK’s young forward Jesse Kiiskinen is heading to North America. Detroit Red Wings announces that Kiiskinen will join the roster of their AHL team, the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Kiiskinen, 20, signed an NHL entry-level contract with Detroit last summer. He played this season on loan in the Liiga with HPK. Kiiskinen recorded 28 points (17+11) in 54 regular season games and 4 points (1+3) in nine playoff games. HPK’s season ended this week in the quarterfinals against Tappara.
Originally, Kiiskinen was a 3rd round draft pick of the Nashville Predators in the summer of 2023. Nashville traded Kiiskinen’s rights to Detroit in 2024.
Last season, Kiiskinen posted strong numbers with HPK, scoring 44 points (14+30) in 46 games. Before that, he represented Pelicans in the Liiga.
Kiiskinen was part of the team that won silver with the Under-20 Lions at the 2025 World Championship.
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