Aleksanteri Kaskimaki's NHL debut with the St. Louis Blues was postponed due to weather-related flight delays against the Anaheim Ducks. The 21-year-old rookie will now make his first appearance on Thursday night in Boston. The Blues begin a three-game road trip facing the Bruins, Senators, and Canadiens.
Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, a 21-year-old forward from Finland, was set to make his NHL debut on Monday night for the St. Louis Blues against the Anaheim Ducks. However, weather-related flight delays and a prolonged wait on the tarmac prevented him from arriving in time, as he entered the press box at Enterprise Center just as the national anthem began.
"It was pretty hard," Kaskimaki said. "I was getting ready to play, but as soon as I had to stay on the tarmac and the delays kept going, I knew it might not happen… You’re counting down the minutes when you get off the plane. It happens."
Kaskimaki's debut shifts to Thursday's game at 6 p.m. CT against the Boston Bruins, broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network and 101 ESPN. This marks the start of a brief three-game road trip for the Blues, continuing to Ottawa and Montreal. Despite the distance from his native Finland, Kaskimaki remains excited.
"It’s a dream come true, so it was [good to get called up]," he said.
In practice, Blues head coach Jim Montgomery placed Kaskimaki on a line with Dalibor Dvorsky and Pavel Buchnevich. "Him and Dvorsky have played a lot together in the American League, so there’s familiarity there," Montgomery said. "And Buchy is just a solid veteran that can help those guys offensively and defensively with his 200-foot game. (Aleksanteri’s) energy to be in the NHL is obvious. That’s a good jolt for our team right now."
A third-round pick by the Blues in the 2022 NHL Draft (No. 73 overall), Kaskimaki is in his second AHL season with the Springfield Thunderbirds, recording 15 goals and 26 assists for 41 points in 79 games.
The Blues welcome back Pius Suter after he missed two games due to a muscle-related lower-body injury. He returned to practice on Wednesday and is cleared to play. Jimmy Snuggerud, Alexey Toropchenko, and Nathan Walker remain sidelined with injuries.
Projected Lineup
Forwards:
- Brayden Schenn - Robert Thomas - Jake Neighbours
- Dylan Holloway - Pius Suter - Jordan Kyrou
- Aleksanteri Kaskimaki - Dalibor Dvorsky - Pavel Buchnevich
- Mathieu Joseph - Oskar Sundqvist - Nick Bjugstad
Defense:
- Philip Broberg - Colton Parayko
- Tyler Tucker - Justin Faulk
- Cam Fowler - Logan Mailloux
Goalie:
- Jordan Binnington