On a busy day in free agency, the Dallas Stars also added a fresh face on an entry-level deal on Tuesday.
And he could one day be a new member of Dallas’ Finnish Mafia.
Defenseman Niilopekka Muhonen, a 19-year-old native of Kuopio, Finland, has signed a three-year contract that will begin in 2025-26. Muhonen spent the 2024-25 campaign with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
The blueliner skated in 60 regular season games in his first season in the WHL, recording 17 points (4 goals, 13 assists) with a +20 plus/minus rating.
Sports Roundup
He tallied three points (1 goal, 2 assists) in 18 games during the WHL postseason, helping the Tigers capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup as the champion of the WHL and reach the Memorial Cup final against the London Knights.
The six-foot-five, 215-pound defender was selected by Dallas in the fifth round (158th overall) in the 2024 NHL draft.
Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.