Penguins Sign Forward Joona Koppanen to a Two-Year Contract

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Joona Koppanen to a two-year contract, it was announced today by President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas.

The contract will run through the 2024-25 campaign and carries an average annual value of $775,000 at the NHL level.

Koppanen, 25, spent 64 games with the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League in 2022-23. He recorded career highs in games played (64), goals (12), assists (23), and points (35). He ranked seventh on the club in assists and points, and added two assists in four playoff games.

He also appeared in five games with the Boston Bruins in 2022-23, making his NHL debut on January 12 against the Seattle Kraken, and he recorded his first career point (assist) against the San Jose Sharks on January 22.

The 6-foot-5, 216-pound forward has spent parts of the last six seasons in the AHL with the Providence Bruins, accumulating 39 goals, 54 assists and 93 points in 245 regular-season games.

In 2020-21, Koppanen appeared in 10 games with Koovee of Mestis, Finland's second-tier league, tallying six goals and 11 assists. His 1.70 points-per-game average ranked third on the team. The forward then spent time with Ilves of Liiga, recording five points (3G-2A) in 13 games.

The Tampere, Finland native represented his country at the 2018 World Junior Championship, where he ranked third on the team with four points (3G-1A) in five games. Koppanen also appeared in the 2016 World Under-18 Championship, winning the gold medal.

Koppanen was originally drafted by Boston in the fifth round (135th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft.