Sami Niku

#88 Linköping HC / SHL - 26/27

Date of Birth: Oct 10, 1996
Age: 30
Place of Birth: Haapavesi, FIN
Nation: Finland
Youth Team: JYP
Position: D
Height: 185 cm / 6'1"
Weight: 88 kg / 194 lbs
Shoots: L
Contract: 27/28

Sami Niku Facts

Drafted: 2015 round 7 #198 overall by Winnipeg Jets
Agency: Premium

Brothers: Juho Niku, Tomi Niku

Sami Niku Statistics

S	Team	League	GP	G	A	TP	PIM	+/-	Post	GP	G	A	TP	PIM	+/-
2010-2011	JYP U16	U16 SM-sarja Q	9	1	2	3	4	-
2010-2011	JYP U16	U16 SM-sarja	25	1	5	6	10	-	Playoffs	3	0	0	0	0	-
2011-2012	JYP U16	U16 SM-sarja Q	7	0	4	4	2	-
2011-2012	JYP U16	U16 SM-sarja	14	1	8	9	4	-	Playoffs	3	0	3	3	0	-
2011-2012	JYP U18	U18 SM-sarja	17	1	1	2	0	-
2011-2012	Finland U16 (all)	International-Jr	1	0	0	0	0	1
2012-2013	JYP U17	U17 SM-sarja	0	0	0	0	0	-	Playoffs	7	1	4	5	2	-
2012-2013	JYP U18	U18 SM-sarja	3	2	1	3	0	-
2012-2013	JYP U20	U20 SM-liiga	30	0	8	8	22	-3	Playoffs	6	0	0	0	2	-3
2012-2013	Finland U17	WHC-17	5	1	1	2	4	-
2012-2013	Finland U17 (all)	International-Jr	6	1	1	2	2	-4
2013-2014	JYP U18	U18 SM-sarja	1	0	3	3	0	-
2013-2014	JYP U20	U20 SM-liiga	20	4	10	14	20	1
2013-2014	JYP-Akatemia	Mestis	30	0	3	3	16	2
2013-2014	Finland U18	WJC-18	5	1	0	1	0	-3
2013-2014	Finland U18 (all)	International-Jr	20	3	5	8	6	-
2014-2015	JYP-Akatemia	Mestis	39	3	22	25	24	8	Playoffs	6	0	5	5	4	2
2014-2015	JYP	Liiga	12	0	1	1	6	1
2014-2015	Finland U20	WJC-20	5	0	0	0	0	2
2014-2015	Finland U20 (all)	International-Jr	24	3	5	8	6	7
2015-2016	JYP	Liiga	38	4	7	11	2	2
2015-2016	JYP-Akatemia	Mestis	7	0	2	2	4	1
2015-2016	Finland U20	WJC-20	7	1	1	2	2	3
2015-2016	Finland U20 (all)	International-Jr	17	2	3	5	8	9
2016-2017	JYP	Liiga	59	5	22	27	26	3	Playoffs	15	1	5	6	2	-1
2017-2018	Winnipeg Jets	NHL	1	1	0	1	0	0
2017-2018	Manitoba Moose	AHL	76	16	38	54	30	17	Playoffs	9	1	2	3	2	-1
2018-2019	Winnipeg Jets	NHL	30	1	3	4	2	0
2018-2019	Manitoba Moose	AHL	20	3	9	12	14	-6
2019-2020	Winnipeg Jets	NHL	17	0	5	5	12	-2
2019-2020	Manitoba Moose	AHL	18	3	11	14	12	-6
2020-2021	Winnipeg Jets	NHL	6	0	0	0	8	-3
2021-2022	Montréal Canadiens	NHL	13	0	6	6	2	3
2021-2022	Laval Rocket	AHL	36	2	11	13	14	3	Playoffs	15	0	11	11	10	2
2022-2023	JYP "A"	Liiga	54	9	33	42	26	7
2022-2023	Finland (all)	International	4	0	1	1	2	3
2023-2024	JYP	Liiga	37	11	26	37	24	-7
2023-2024	Ilves	Liiga	16	1	11	12	4	13	Playoffs	5	0	1	1	2	1
2023-2024	Finland (all)	International	3	0	0	0	0	-3
2024-2025	EHC Kloten	NL	52	5	25	30	32	5	Playoffs	9	0	1	1	4	-8
2025-2026	Lausanne HC	NL	50	8	16	24	22	10	Playoffs	6	0	3	3	0	0
2025-2026	Finland (all)	International	3	1	0	1	2	-1
2026-2027	Linköping HC	SHL	10	0	1	1	6	-5
2026-2027	Projected	SHL	48	0	5	5	29	-24

Sami Niku Tournament Statistics

S	Team	League	GP	G	A	TP	PIM	+/-
2012-2013	Finland U17	EYOF	3	0	1	1	2	7
2013-2014	Finland U18	Ivan Hlinka Memorial	4	1	1	2	4	-1
2014-2015	JYP	Champions HL	1	0	0	0	0	1
2015-2016	JYP	Champions HL	6	0	1	1	2	1
2016-2017	JYP	Champions HL	8	1	2	3	4	2
2022-2023	Finland	EHT	4	0	1	1	2	3
2023-2024	Finland	EHT	3	0	0	0	0	-3
2025-2026	Lausanne HC	Champions HL	6	0	1	1	0	-3
2025-2026	Finland	EHT	3	1	0	1	2	-1

Sami Niku Career Totals by League

League	Seasons	GP	G	A	TP	PPG	PIM	+/-	Seasons	GP	G	A	TP	PPG	PIM	+/-
AHL	4	150	24	69	93	0.62	70	8	2	24	1	13	14	0.58	12	1
Champions HL	4	21	1	4	5	0.24	6	1	0
EHT	3	10	1	1	2	0.20	4	-1	0
EYOF	1	3	0	1	1	0.33	2	7	0
International	3	10	1	1	2	0.20	4	-1	0
International-Jr	5	68	9	14	23	0.34	22	13*	0
Ivan Hlinka Memorial (Hlinka Gretzky Cup)	1	4	1	1	2	0.50	4	-1	0
Liiga	5	216	30	100	130	0.60	88	19	2	20	1	6	7	0.35	4	0
Mestis	3	76	3	27	30	0.39	44	11	1	6	0	5	5	0.83	4	2
NHL	5	67	2	14	16	0.24	24	-2	0
NL	2	102	13	41	54	0.53	54	15	2	15	0	4	4	0.27	4	-8
SHL	1	10	0	1	1	0.10	6	-5	0
U16 SM-sarja	2	39	2	13	15	0.38	14	-	2	6	0	3	3	0.50	0	-
U16 SM-sarja Q	2	16	1	6	7	0.44	6	-	0
U17 SM-sarja	1	0	0	0	0	-	0	-	1	7	1	4	5	0.71	2	-
U18 SM-sarja	3	21	3	5	8	0.38	0	-	0
U20 SM-liiga (U20 SM-sarja)	2	50	4	18	22	0.44	42	-2	1	6	0	0	0	0.00	2	-3
WHC-17	1	5	1	1	2	0.40	4	-	0
WJC-18	1	5	1	0	1	0.20	0	-3	0
WJC-20	2	12	1	1	2	0.17	2	5	0

* Some data is missing to provide a correct summary.

Sami Niku Career Totals by Team

Team	Seasons	GP	G	A	TP	PPG	PIM	+/-	Seasons	GP	G	A	TP	PPG	PIM	+/-
EHC Kloten	1	52	5	25	30	0.58	32	5	1	9	0	1	1	0.11	4	-8
Finland (EHT)	3	10	1	1	2	0.20	4	-1	0
Finland (all)	3	10	1	1	2	0.20	4	-1	0
Finland U16 (all)	1	1	0	0	0	0.00	0	1	0
Finland U17	1	8	1	2	3	0.38	6	7*	0
Finland U17 (all)	1	6	1	1	2	0.33	2	-4	0
Finland U18	1	5	1	0	1	0.20	0	-3	0
Finland U18 (Cup)	1	4	1	1	2	0.50	4	-1	0
Finland U18 (all)	1	20	3	5	8	0.40	6	-	0
Finland U20	2	12	1	1	2	0.17	2	5	0
Finland U20 (all)	2	41	5	8	13	0.32	14	16	0
Ilves	1	16	1	11	12	0.75	4	13	1	5	0	1	1	0.20	2	1
JYP	5	215	30	92	122	0.57	90	10	1	15	1	5	6	0.40	2	-1
JYP U16	2	55	3	19	22	0.40	20	-	2	6	0	3	3	0.50	0	-
JYP U17	1	0	0	0	0	-	0	-	1	7	1	4	5	0.71	2	-
JYP U18	3	21	3	5	8	0.38	0	-	0
JYP U20	2	50	4	18	22	0.44	42	-2	1	6	0	0	0	0.00	2	-3
JYP-Akatemia	3	76	3	27	30	0.39	44	11	1	6	0	5	5	0.83	4	2
Lausanne HC	1	56	8	17	25	0.45	22	7	1	6	0	3	3	0.50	0	0
Laval Rocket	1	36	2	11	13	0.36	14	3	1	15	0	11	11	0.73	10	2
Linköping HC	1	10	0	1	1	0.10	6	-5	0
Manitoba Moose	3	114	22	58	80	0.70	56	5	1	9	1	2	3	0.33	2	-1
Montréal Canadiens	1	13	0	6	6	0.46	2	3	0
Winnipeg Jets	4	54	2	8	10	0.19	22	-5	0

* Some data is missing to provide a correct summary.

Sami Niku Career Highlights

Season	Awards
2010-2011	U16 Huippu-Pohjola Camp Roster (JYP)
2012-2013	EYOF Gold Medal
2013-2014	Finland2 (Mestis) Most Points by U18 Junior (3)
2015-2016	U20 WJC Gold Medal
2016-2017	Liiga Bronze Medal
2017-2018	AHL All-Rookie Team AHL Best Defenseman (Eddie Shore Award) AHL First All-Star Team
2021-2022	AHL Playoffs Most Assists by Defenseman (11)
2023-2024	Liiga Most Assists by Defenseman (37) Liiga Most Points by Defenseman (49)

Transactions

Date	Status	From	To
09/14/2026	Confirmed	Lausanne HC	Linköping HC
04/30/2025	Confirmed	EHC Kloten	Lausanne HC
03/28/2025	Confirmed	EHC Kloten	Unknown
07/02/2024	Confirmed	Ilves	EHC Kloten
01/22/2024	Confirmed	JYP	Ilves
04/17/2023	Extension	JYP	JYP
07/29/2022	Confirmed	Laval Rocket	JYP
09/24/2021	Confirmed	Winnipeg Jets	Montréal Canadiens
09/20/2021	Confirmed	Winnipeg Jets	Unknown
10/29/2020	Extension	Winnipeg Jets	Winnipeg Jets
05/15/2017	Confirmed	JYP	Winnipeg Jets
12/23/2015	Extension	JYP	JYP

Sami Niku Biography and Trivia

2015 NHL Entry Draft: Ranked #116 by FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
2015 NHL Entry Draft: Ranked #56 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING

Career transactions
- 2015-04-17 • Signed to a three-year contract extension with JYP

Career assingments
- 2015-2016 • Assigned to JYP-Akatemia by JYP
- 2014-2015 • Assigned to JYP-Akatemia by JYP
- 2013-2014 • Assigned to JYP-Akatemia by JYP U20

Other memorable dates
- 2016-01-22 • Scored first Liiga goal against Sport(Mika Järvinen)
- 2016-01-05 • Won World Junior Championship gold medal
- 2015-12-23 • Selected to U20 World Junior Championship roster
- 2014-12-22 • Selected to U20 World Junior Championship roster
- 2014-10-02 • Scored first Liiga assist point against TPS
- 2014-09-16 • Made Liiga debut (vs. HPK) +/-: -1 PIM: 0 S: 2 TOI: 9:16 (AGE:17)
- 2014-04-16 • Selected to U18 World Junior Championship roster
- 2012-12-10 • Selected to U17 World Hockey Challenge roster