• Spent the majority of the 2019-20 season with Karpat of the Finnish Elite League where he recorded 1-6—7 in 43 GP

• Helped Karpat’s junior team win a league championship in 2018-19 registering 1-7—8 in 39 regular-season games and adding 1-3—4 in 11 postseason contests

• Earned a silver medal with Team Finland at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

• His father, Tapio Niemela, was a forward who also played junior and professional hockey in the Karpat organization


Scouting Report: Skilled, quick defenseman who likes to join the rush. Reliable but not flashy. High Hockey IQ. Finesse-type defenseman with strong puck-handling skills.


Current Player Comparable: Sami Vatanen