Finland Aleksi Saarela
Langnau / NL - 24/25
1-time U20 WJC Gold Medal 1
1-time U18 WJC Silver Medal 1
1-time AHL Calder Cup Champion 1
1-time Liiga Champion 1
Date of Birth
Position
C/LW
Age
27
Height
5'10" / 179 cm
Place of Birth
Weight
201 lbs / 91 kg
Nation
Shoots
L
Youth Team
Contract
24/25
Agency

A dangerous offensive forward that creates energy through scoring chances. Possesses good hockey sense as well as good hands and stickhandling ability. A smooth and speedy skater who has a lot of jump in his step. Not very large in stature; however, his diminutive size doesn't deter his scoring prowess, and that is what he will have to rely upon to be successful. (Curtis Joe, EP 2014)

Brother: Antti Saarela
Father: Pasi Saarela
Uncle: Ilkka Saarela

© Photo: Peter Eggimann

Aleksi Saarela Statistics

S Team League GP G A TP PIM +/-   POST GP G A TP PIM +/-
2010-11 Lukko U16 U16 SM-sarja Q 1* 1* 0* 1* 0* -* |
Lukko U16 U16 SM-sarja 1* 1* 1* 2* 0* -* |
2011-12 Lukko U16 “A” U16 SM-sarja Q 8* 11* 17* 28* 4* -* |
Lukko U16 U16 SM-sarja 28* 33* 39* 72* 26* -* | Playoffs 9 14 15 29 4 -
Finland U16 (all) International-Jr 3* 1* 1* 2* 2* -* |
2012-13 Lukko U18 “A” U18 SM-sarja 16* 17* 19* 36* 14* -* |
Lukko U20 U20 SM-liiga 22* 8* 10* 18* 6* -1* | Playoffs 10 2 6 8 2 6
Lukko SM-liiga 3* 1* 1* 2* 0* -2* |
Finland U17 WHC-17 5* 2* 2* 4* 2* -* |
Finland U17 (all) International-Jr 4* 1* 1* 2* 2* 7* |
2013-14 Lukko U20 U20 SM-liiga 17* 6* 16* 22* 8* 0* |
Lukko Liiga 12* 0* 2* 2* 2* -4* |
Finland U18 WJC-18 2* 1* 0* 1* 0* -2* |
Finland U18 (all) International-Jr 2* 1* 0* 1* 0* -2* |
2014-15 Ässät Liiga 51* 6* 6* 12* 18* -7* | Playoffs 2 0 0 0 0 0
Finland U18 WJC-18 7* 3* 5* 8* 6* 6* |
Finland U18 (all) International-Jr 8* 3* 6* 9* 6* 6* |
Finland U20 (all) International-Jr 7* 0* 0* 0* 2* -* |
2015-16 Ässät U20 U20 SM-liiga 2* 0* 2* 2* 0* 0* | Playoffs 3 1 2 3 0 1
Ässät Liiga 51* 20* 13* 33* 14* 4* |
Finland U20 WJC-20 7* 4* 3* 7* 4* 2* |
Finland U20 (all) International-Jr 15* 5* 7* 12* 2* 8* |
Finland (all) International 5* 1* 1* 2* 0* 1* |
2016-17 Lukko Liiga 49* 15* 13* 28* 10* -7* |
Charlotte Checkers AHL 9* 6* 4* 10* 2* 7* | Playoffs 5 0 0 0 2 -2
2017-18 Charlotte Checkers AHL 69* 25* 18* 43* 8* 4* | Playoffs 8 2 1 3 2 1
2018-19 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 0* 0* 0* 0* 0* 0* | Playoffs 1 0 0 0 0 0
Charlotte Checkers AHL 69* 30* 24* 54* 12* 18* | Playoffs 17 7 8 15 4 10
2019-20 Rockford IceHogs AHL 5* 0* 1* 1* 0* 2* |
Florida Panthers NHL 9* 2* 2* 4* 0* 2* | Playoffs 1 0 0 0 0 0
Springfield Thunderbirds AHL 43* 12* 19* 31* 12* -2* |
2020-21 Lukko “A” Liiga 43* 23* 14* 37* 22* 10* | Playoffs 11 4 4 8 4 4
Finland (all) International 3* 1* 0* 1* 2* -2* |
2021-22 SCL Tigers NL 31* 10* 12* 22* 6* -10* |
2022-23 SCL Tigers NL 48* 24* 15* 39* 10* -5* | Relegation 6 2 4 6 0 2
2023-24 SCL Tigers NL 50* 18* 23* 41* 8* -13* |
Finland (all) International 3* 1* 0* 1* 0* 1* |
2024-25 Langnau NL -* -* -* -* -* -* |

Aleksi Saarela Tournament Statistics

S Team League GP G A TP PIM +/-   POST GP G A TP PIM +/-
2015-16 Finland EHT 2* 0* 0* 0* 0* 0* |
2016-17 Lukko Champions HL 1* 1* 0* 1* 0* -1* |
2020-21 Finland EHT 3* 1* 0* 1* 2* -2* |
2022-23 HC Davos Spengler Cup 4* 0* 1* 1* 0* -3* |
2023-24 Finland EHT 3* 1* 0* 1* 0* 1* |

Aleksi Saarela Career Totals

League Years GP G A TP PPG PIM +/- | Years GP G A TP PPG PIM +/-
AHL 4 195* 73* 66* 139* 0.71* 34* 29* | 3 30 9 * 9 * 18 * 0.60 * 8 * 9 *
Champions HL 1 1* 1* 0* 1* 1.00* 0* -1* | 0 * * * * * *
EHT 3 8* 2* 0* 2* 0.25* 2* -1* | 0 * * * * * *
International 3 11* 3* 1* 4* 0.36* 2* 0* | 0 * * * * * *
International-Jr 5 39* 11* 15* 26* 0.67* 14* 19* | 0 * * * * * *
Liiga (SM-liiga) 6 209* 65* 49* 114* 0.55* 66* -6* | 2 13 4 * 4 * 8 * 0.62 * 4 * 4 *
NHL 2 9* 2* 2* 4* 0.44* 0* 2* | 2 2 0 * 0 * 0 * 0.00 * 0 * 0 *
NL 4 129* 52* 50* 102* 0.79* 24* -28* | 1 6 2 * 4 * 6 * 1.00 * 0 * 2 *
Spengler Cup 1 4* 0* 1* 1* 0.25* 0* -3* | 0 * * * * * *
U16 SM-sarja 2 29* 34* 40* 74* 2.55* 26* -* | 1 9 14 * 15 * 29 * 3.22 * 4 * - *
U16 SM-sarja Q 2 9* 12* 17* 29* 3.22* 4* -* | 0 * * * * * *
U18 SM-sarja 1 16* 17* 19* 36* 2.25* 14* -* | 0 * * * * * *
U20 SM-liiga (U20 SM-sarja) 3 41* 14* 28* 42* 1.02* 14* -1* | 2 13 3 * 8 * 11 * 0.85 * 2 * 7 *
WHC-17 1 5* 2* 2* 4* 0.80* 2* -* | 0 * * * * * *
WJC-18 2 9* 4* 5* 9* 1.00* 6* 4* | 0 * * * * * *
WJC-20 1 7* 4* 3* 7* 1.00* 4* 2* | 0 * * * * * *
* Some data is missing to provide a correct summary.

Aleksi Saarela Career Highlights

Season
Awards by season
Transactions
DATE STATUS FROM TO SOURCE
10/06/2023
10/06/2023 Extension SCL Tigers SCL Tigers
12/05/2022
12/05/2022 Loan SCL Tigers HC Davos
10/27/2021
10/27/2021 Extension SCL Tigers SCL Tigers
08/06/2021
08/06/2021 Confirmed Lukko SCL Tigers
08/22/2020
08/22/2020 Confirmed Springfield Thunderbirds Lukko
10/23/2019
10/23/2019 Confirmed Chicago Blackhawks Florida Panthers
06/24/2019
06/24/2019 Confirmed Carolina Hurricanes Chicago Blackhawks
06/13/2016
06/13/2016 Confirmed Lukko Carolina Hurricanes
04/20/2016
04/20/2016 Confirmed Ässät Lukko
02/28/2016
02/28/2016 Confirmed New York Rangers Carolina Hurricanes
10/16/2014
10/16/2014 Extension Ässät Ässät
04/29/2014
04/29/2014 Confirmed Lukko Ässät
05/04/2013
05/04/2013 Extension Lukko Lukko
Player Biography and Trivia

Drafted 2014, 1 #41 overall by Jokerit in the KHL Draft

2015 NHL Entry Draft: Ranked #137 by FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

2015 NHL Entry Draft: Ranked #31 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (EU Skaters

Cult/Star player for Lukko


Career transactions
- 2014-10-16 • Signed to a one-year contract extension with Ässät
- 2014-04-29 • Signed to a one-year contract with Ässät
- 2013-05-04 • Signed to a one-year contract extension with Lukko
- 2012-2013 • Contracted to Lukko

Career assingments
- 2013-2014 • Assigned to Lukko U20

Other memorable dates
- 2016-01-05 • Won World Junior Championship gold medal
- 2015-12-23 • Selected to U20 World Junior Championship roster
- 2015-04-16 • Selected to U18 World Junior Championship roster
- 2014-04-16 • Selected to U18 World Junior Championship roster
- 2013-02-19 • Made Liiga debut against Tappara and scored first Liiga goal and assist at the same game. (At the age 16y 01m 12d, he became second youngest goal scorer ever in Liiga)
- 2012-12-10 • Selected to U17 World Hockey Challenge roster