| Aleksi Saarela | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 7 January 1997 Helsinki, Finland |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb) |
| Position | Centre |
| Shoots | Left |
| NHL team Former teams |
Chicago Blackhawks Lukko Ässät Carolina Hurricanes |
| NHL Draft | 89th overall, 2015 New York Rangers |
| Playing career | 2013–present |
Aleksi Saarela (born on January 7, 1997) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who is currently under contract as a prospect to the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Saarela was originally selected 89th overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers.
Playing Career[]
Aleksi made his SM-liiga debut playing with Lukko during the 2012–13 SM-liiga season. On February 28, 2016, his rights (along with a 2016 second-round draft pick and a 2017 second-round draft pick,) were traded from the New York Rangers to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Eric Staal.
In the 2015–16 season, Aleksi led Porin Ässät with 20 goals and finished third in overal scoring with 33 points in 51 games. On April 20, 2016, he signed a one-year contract to return to his original club, Lukko, on a one-year contract.
Under two months later, on June 13, 2016, Aleksi was then signed to a three-year entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. On January 3, 2018, he was recalled by the Carolina Hurricanes from the Charlotte Checkers prior to a game with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Aleksi made his NHL debut during game five of the Hurricanes' first round playoff series against the Washington Capitals.
On June 24, 2019, Aleksi was traded by the Hurricanes along with Calvin de Haan to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Gustav Forsling & Anton Forsberg.
Career Statistics[]
Regular season and playoffs[]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2012–13 | Lukko | Jr. A | 22 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 2012–13 | Lukko | SM-l | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Lukko | Jr. A | 17 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Lukko | Liiga | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Ässät | Liiga | 51 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | Ässät | Liiga | 51 | 20 | 13 | 33 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Lukko | Liiga | 49 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Charlotte Checkers | AHL | 9 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | Charlotte Checkers | AHL | 69 | 25 | 18 | 43 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19 | Charlotte Checkers | AHL | 69 | 30 | 24 | 54 | 12 | 17 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 4 | ||
| 2018–19 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Liiga totals | 166 | 42 | 35 | 77 | 44 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| NHL totals | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Competitor for  Finland
| ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 2016 Finland | |
| IIHF World U18 Championships | ||
| Silver | 2015 Switzerland | |
International[]
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Finland | U17 | 7th | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Finland | WJC18 | 6th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015 | Finland | WJC18 | Template:Sica | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | |
| 2016 | Finland | WJC | Template:Goca | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 21 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 12 | ||||