Luleå Hockey has signed Finnish forward Valtteri Puustinen to a three-year deal. The 27-year-old arrived from North America after spending five seasons in the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche organizations.
The club presented the player on Wednesday. Puustinen has played 66 NHL games with Pittsburgh, recording 24 points. In the AHL he accumulated 197 points over 292 games. Luleå general manager Thomas Fröberg said the team saw an opportunity when Puustinen expressed interest in the SHL. He highlighted the forward’s playmaking ability and offensive drive. Puustinen, who won Junior World Championship gold with Finland in 2019, said he had heard positive reports about the club from other Finnish players. Several other European teams had pursued him before he chose Luleå.
