• Saarela split the 2018-19 season between Lukko of the Finnish Elite League (2-8—10 in 24 GP) and their junior team (7-8—15 in 21 GP).

• Internationally, Saarela skated for Team Finland at the 2019 Under-18 World Championship (1-2—3 in 5 GP), the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (2-2—4 in 5 GP).

• His brother, Aleksi Saarela, was selected 89th overall by the Rangers in the 2015 NHL Draft and is currently a member of the Hurricanes organization where he won the AHL’s Calder Cup championship with the Charlotte Checkers in 2018-19.

• His father, Pasi Saarela, played in the Finnish Elite League from 1990-91 to 2008-09, including two stints as captain of Lukko and back-to-back league championships with Jokerit in 1995-96 and 1996-97.

• Models his style of play after Maple Leafs forward John Tavares.

STATISTICS

SEASON	TEAM	LEAGUE	GP	G	A	P	PIM
2023-2024	ROCKFORD	AHL	26	4	1	5	6
2022-2023	LUKKO	FINLAND	41	7	11	18	10
2021-2022	ILVES	FINLAND	37	12	7	19	24
2020-2021	ILVES	FINLAND	47	7	7	14	51
2019-2020	ILVES	FINLAND	40	4	8	12	12
2019-2020	FINLAND (2020 WJC Championships)	ITLTOUR	7	0	0	0	6
2019-2020	FINLAND (2019 WORLD JUNIOR SUMMER SHOWCASE)	NAEVENT	5	0	3	3	4
2019-2020	FIN U20 (2019 4 Nations Tournament in Helsinki)	ITLTOUR	3	0	0	0	0
2018-2019	LUKKO	FINLAND	24	2	8	10	20
2018-2019	LUKKO JR.	FINLAND-JR.	21	7	8	15	32
2018-2019	FIN (2019 IIHF U18 World Championship)	ITLTOUR	5	1	2	3	6
2018-2019	FIN U18 (5 Nations Tournament in Kravare 2018)	ITLTOUR	4	2	1	3	2
2018-2019	FIN (2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup)	NATOUR	3	0	0	0	2
2018-2019	FIN U18 (5 Nations Tournament in Sochi 2019)	ITLTOUR	3	1	1	2	27
2017-2018	LUKKO JR.	FINLAND-JR.	25	6	9	15	6
2017-2018	LUKKO U18	FIN-JR. U18	5	2	4	6	4
2017-2018	FINLAND (2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge)	NATOUR	5	2	2	4	4
2017-2018	FIN U17 (5-nations tournament in Jarvenpaa 2018)	ITLTOUR	4	1	0	1	4
2017-2018	FIN U17 (5 Nations Tournament in Basel 2018)	ITLTOUR	4	2	1	3	2
2017-2018	LUKKO	FINLAND	1	0	0	0	0
2016-2017	LUKKO U18	FIN-JR. U18	34	5	15	20	40