Boston Bruins‘ 1st round pick in the 2017 draft (#18 overall), 4th year Finnish-born defenseman Urho Vaakanainen(58) may find himself on a short string between the parent club and affiliate Providence Bruins for most of his time as a rookie.
The 6’1″ 185 lbs. blue liner has already received an emergency recall after playing 6 AHL games scoring a pair of assists.
In his NHL debut he skated 17 shifts for 12:26 total ice time with 1 shot on net, 1 giveaway and a -1 rating on an overtime loss.
He came to North America with three years of pro experience as a teenager in Liiga with three different clubs.
At just 19-years old he is signed to a three-year entry level deal and looks to have all the skills to make him a top 4 d-man at the highest level of hockey but will need to continue to prove his game in the new surroundings.