Making the transition to the National Hockey League is difficult in any situation. For European players, the journey has the additional challenges of adapting to the language and cultural barriers, smaller rink size and fast-paced style of North American hockey.
Juuso Riikola, one of the newest additions to the Pittsburgh Penguins roster, is currently going through that process at his first NHL training camp. The 24-year-old defenseman was signed to a one-year, entry-level contract on May 18 after representing his native Finland at the 2018 World Championship, where he posted two assists and a plus-4 in eight games for his country.
“He was a sought-after free agent,” Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said. “One of the reasons we tried to go after him as aggressively as we did is because we believe he’s one of those types of defensemen that can play the game that we’re trying to play. He’s a mobile guy. He’s a good puck mover. I thought the one thing that jumped out at me was that his physical play in the battle areas was strong. I think that’s encouraging.”
The coaching staff weren’t the only ones who took notice of Riikola and his play. Fellow defenseman Justin Schultz is impressed with what he’s seen from Riikola, who has been paired with Brian Dumoulin, so far.
“He’s very solid,” Schultz said. “He plays a hard game and has some skill too, obviously. He’s a hell of a player.”
With a 6-foot, 190-pound frame, the left-shot prides himself as a two-way defenseman who utilizes his size in the gritty areas.
“I’m an all-around D-man,” Riikola said. “I play defense well and I like to go for the offense. I like to hit.”
Riikola made the move to the NHL after playing the past six seasons with KalPa in Finland’s top professional league, steadily increasing his offensive numbers each year. He also served as an alternate captain for his club each of the last three years.
The obstacles that arise after trekking across the pond have seemingly been reduced for Riikola with fellow Finn Olli Maatta in the locker room, as the two were teammates on Finland’s 2013 World Junior Championship squad.
“It’s great to be with somebody who is from the same country,” Riikola said.
Maatta went through a similar adjustment process a few years before, though he had the benefit of playing two years with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League before making the Penguins’ roster. He plans on helping Riikola with whatever he may need, both on and off the ice, though he’s confident his friend will handle it all with aplomb.
“I came over from juniors, so definitely the rink size,” Maatta said. “I already had it almost figured out. I remember coming over from Europe to Canada when I was almost 17. It took me a couple of months to get used to the game here, it’s a little different than it is on the big ice. That’s definitely something about (the transition), but I don’t think for him it’s going to be a huge problem. He’s a smart player and definitely has all of the assets to play in the league.”
And after being in Pittsburgh for a few days of practice, Riikola is more confident than ever in his decision and looking forward to representing the Penguins organization.
“(It’s) a great group of players,” Riikola said. “A good organization. The coaches, they wanted me to come here, that was the big thing for me. I think this was the right choice.”
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