Olli Juolevi
Olli Juolevi (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈolli ˈjuo̯leʋi]; born 5 May 1998) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman for the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected fifth overall by the Canucks in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Born and raised in Finland, Juolevi developed in the Jokerit program before he moved to North America to play major junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)'s London Knights in 2015. After one season with London, he was drafted by the Canucks.
| Olli Juolevi | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Juolevi with the London Knights in 2016 | |||
| Born |
5 May 1998 Helsinki, Finland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team Former teams |
Vancouver Canucks Utica Comets (AHL) TPS | ||
| NHL Draft |
5th overall, 2016 Vancouver Canucks | ||
| Playing career | 2017–present | ||
Internationally, Juolevi has represented Finland in three World Junior Championships, winning gold at the 2016 tournament.
Playing career
At age 14, Juolevi began playing junior hockey in Finland for Jokerit's U16 team in 2012–13. By the following year, he was playing for Jokerit's U20 team in the Jr. A SM-liiga. After scoring 32 points (6 goals and 26 assists) in 44 games, he was named to the league's First All-Star Team and awarded Rookie of the Year.[1] During the off-season, Juolevi was selected 45th overall by the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) at the 2015 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. Juolevi committed to the Knights shortly thereafter, leaving his junior career in Finland.[2]
With 42 points (9 goals and 33 assists) in 57 games, Juolevi ranked third among OHL rookie defencemen and 13th among defencemen overall in 2015–16.[3] He was named to the OHL Third All-Star Team and Second All-Rookie Team.[1] During the 2016 OHL playoffs, he added 14 points (3 goals and 11 assists) in 18 games, ranking second among all defencemen,[4] as the Knights won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions. With the Knights advancing to the 2016 Memorial Cup, Juolevi recorded seven assists in four games and was named to the tournament's All-Star Team, helping London to a national championship.[1]
Having played a key role in London's championship season, Juolevi was highly regarded by scouts. NHL Central Scouting ranked him fifth among draft-eligible players competing in North America, praising his offensive play.[5] During the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, he was the first defenceman selected, fifth overall by the Vancouver Canucks. On 5 August 2016, Juolevi signed his first professional contract in agreeing to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canucks.[6] After registering 13 points in 18 games in his first AHL season, Juolevi was sidelined for the remainder of the year due to knee surgery.[7]
International play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  | ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| IIHF World U20 Championship | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 2016 Finland | |
Juolevi played for Finland at the 2016 World Junior Championships, where they won gold on 5 January 2016. In recognition of his play, he was named to the tournament All-star team.
Juolevi was named Finland's captain for the 2017 World Junior Championships. In the tournament, Finland was unable to match their success from the previous year, placing ninth and having to defeat Latvia to avoid relegation.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2013–14 | Jokerit | Fin-Jr. | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Jokerit | Fin-Jr. | 44 | 6 | 26 | 32 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2015–16 | London Knights | OHL | 57 | 9 | 33 | 42 | 16 | 18 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 4 | ||
| 2016–17 | London Knights | OHL | 58 | 10 | 32 | 42 | 36 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 2017–18 | TPS | Liiga | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | Utica Comets | AHL | 18 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Utica Comets | AHL | 45 | 2 | 23 | 25 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Liiga totals | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| International | |
| IIHF World U20 Championship Gold Medal | 2016 |
| IIHF World U20 Championship All-Star Team | 2016 |
References
- "Olli Juolevi". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
- "JUOLEVI & MATTINEN COMMIT TO KNIGHTS". London Knights. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- "2015–16 OHL Defencemen Leaders". Ontario Hockey League. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
- "2016 OHL Playoff Defencemen Leaders". Ontario Hockey League. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
- "Dubois jumps to top of draft rankings". National Hockey League. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
- "Canucks sign Juolevi to entry-level contract". Vancouver Canucks. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- Wagner, Daniel. "Olli Juolevi undergoes knee surgery, out for the rest of the season". Vancouver Courier. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Brock Boeser |
Vancouver Canucks first round draft pick 2016 |
Succeeded by Elias Pettersson |