Kristian Vesalainen and his Kärpät teammates are SM-Liiga champions, defeating Tappara 1-0 on Thursday to take the final series four games to two.
Vesalainen was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1st round, 24th overall, in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Vesalainen started the year with HPK, before being loaned to Kärpät for their title push. He had 22 goals and 21 assists in 49 combined regular season games between the two teams. He notched an additional eight points in 18 postseason appearances.
The young Finn also represented his country at the World Junior Hockey Championships, with two goals and four assists in five games.
