Valtteri Puustinen returns to Europe – transfer to top club confirmed
Valtteri Puustinen‘s conquest of North America has come to an end, at least for now, as the Finnish forward who spent the last five seasons across the Atlantic returns to Europe for the next season. SHL team Luleå HF announced on Wednesday that they have signed a two-year contract with the 27-year-old winger.
In Luleå, the arrival of the Finn was met with great enthusiasm.
– It was a very positive surprise when we found out that Puustinen was available for the SHL. When I have attended games, he has been one of the best players I have seen, the club’s sports director Tomas Fröberg praised in the announcement.
In North America, Puustinen played a total of 66 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, recording 7+17=24 points. In the AHL, however, the Finn was a staple of effective lines for years. Puustinen racked up impressive stats of 77+112=189 points in 276 games.
Puustinen is not the only Finn moving to Luleå HF from North America for the next season. The club announced earlier this week that they have also acquired forward Joona Koppanen, with whom Puustinen played for a long time in the Penguins’ farm team.
Next season, the club will also feature Finnish players Anton Levtchi, Markus Nurmi, Oskari Laaksonen, and Otto Leskinen.
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