Kasper Halttunen (born 7 June 2005) is a Finnish junior ice hockey player for the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) as a prospect to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL).[1] Halttunen was drafted 36th overall by the Sharks in the second round of the 2023 NHL entry draft.[2]
| Kasper Halttunen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
7 June 2005 Helsinki, Finland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 207 lb (94 kg; 14 st 11 lb) | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team Former teams |
San Jose Sharks London Knights (OHL) HIFK | ||
| NHL draft |
36th overall, 2023 San Jose Sharks | ||
| Playing career | 2022–present | ||
Playing career
editHalttunen made his professional debut for IFK Helsingfors on 24 September 2022, in a game against KooKoo Kouvola.[3][4] Following his selection by the Sharks, as the first Finnish prospect chosen in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Halttunen was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with San Jose on 12 July 2023.[5] In August 2023, he signed for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.[6] In the 2024 playoffs Halttunen led the OHL in playoff goals as the Knights won the J. Ross Robertson Cup.[7] As OHL champions, the Knights played in the 2024 Memorial Cup in Saginaw, where they reached the championship game but were defeated 4–3 by the host Saginaw Spirit, in a rematch of the teams' semi-final series during the OHL playoffs.[8] Halttunen was named to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team.[9]
International play
edit| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
Representing  Finland
| ||
| IIHF World U18 Championships | ||
 |
2022 Germany | |
Halttunen represented Finland at the 2022 IIHF World U18 Championships where he recorded three goals and two assists in six games and won a bronze medal.
Career statistics
editBold indicates led league
Regular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2021–22 | Jokerit | U20 | 41 | 24 | 14 | 38 | 75 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 25 | ||
| 2022–23 | HIFK | U20 | 18 | 18 | 6 | 24 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | HIFK | Liiga | 27 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Kiekko-Vantaa | Mestis | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2023–24 | London Knights | OHL | 57 | 32 | 29 | 61 | 61 | 18 | 17 | 9 | 26 | 14 | ||
| Liiga totals | 27 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Finland | HG18 | 4th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| 2022 | Finland | U18 | 
|
6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Finland | HG18 |
|
5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2023 | Finland | U18 | 5th | 5 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 6 | |
| 2024 | Finland | WJC | 4th | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 28 | 13 | 11 | 24 | 20 | ||||
Awards and honours
edit| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| CHL | ||
| Memorial Cup All-Star Team | 2024 | [9] |
| OHL | ||
| J. Ross Robertson Cup champion | 2024 | [7] |
References
edit- ^ "Kasper Halttunen at eliteprospects.com". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ "Kasper Halttunen huudettiin ensimmäisenä suomalaisena NHL:n varaustilaisuudessa". Yle Urheilu (in Finnish). 17 January 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ "Liiga". liiga.fi. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ Pulkkinen, Aki-Petteri (24 September 2022). "HIFK:lla ja HPK:lla nuoret debytantit SM-liigassa – 16-vuotias lupaus kovaan paikkaan Kärppiä vastaan". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ "San Jose Sharks sign forward Kasper Halttunen to entry-level contract". San Jose Sharks. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- ^ "Knights sind import pick Halttunen". London Knights. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ a b "Tournament field set for 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow". chl.ca. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ Alter, David (3 June 2024). "Maple Leafs Prospect Easton Cowan and London Knights Fall Short in Heartbreaking Memorial Cup Final to Saginaw Spirit". The Hockey News. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- ^ a b Séguin, Christopher (3 June 2023). "Spirit win their first-ever CHL championship title by defeating the Knights 4-3 in the final of the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
 | This biographical article relating to a Finnish ice hockey winger is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |