Tips sign Finnish winger, second-overall choice in draft
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Herald staff
EVERETT — The Everett Silvertips have secured the services of their biggest offseason acquisition.
Finnish winger Niko Huuhtanen, who was the second-overall selection in this year’s CHL import draft, has signed with Everett, the team announced Monday.
Huuhtanen, who’s heading into his 18-year-old season, is coming off a campaign in which he tallied 20 goals and 14 assists in 37 games for Tappara in the Finnish under-20 league. He’s ranked 49th among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting for this weekend’s NHL draft.
The Tips are hoping Huuhtanen, a rugged 6-foot-1, 203-pounder, can help provide some of the goal scoring that needs to be replaced because of the departures of Cole Fonstad, who aged out of the league, and Gage Goncalves, who’s expected to play professionally in the minors.
