Kasperi Kapanen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kasperi Kapanen |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Kapanen with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2020
|
|||
| Born | 23 July 1996 Kuopio, Finland |
||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Edmonton Oilers KalPa Toronto Maple Leafs Pittsburgh Penguins St. Louis Blues |
||
| National team |  Finland |
||
| NHL Draft | 22nd overall, 2014 Pittsburgh Penguins |
||
| Playing career | 2013–present | ||
Samu Kasperi Kapanen (born 23 July 1996) is a professional ice hockey player from Finland. He plays as a right wing for the Edmonton Oilers in the National Hockey League (NHL). Kasperi first played in Finland's top league, Liiga, with KalPa during the 2012–13 SM-liiga season. The Pittsburgh Penguins chose him in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, as the 22nd player picked overall.
Contents
Kasperi Kapanen's Hockey Journey
Starting Young in Finland
Kasperi Kapanen grew up around hockey. His father, Sami Kapanen, was part of a group that bought Kasperi's junior team in Finland, called KalPa. It was no surprise that Kasperi started playing for KalPa's younger teams.
He began with the under-16 team. Kasperi was a top scorer, leading his team in goals. The next year, at age 15, he quickly moved up to the under-18 team. He continued to score many points. In his third season, he joined the under-20 team. He scored 29 points in 36 games.
During the 2012–13 season, Kasperi also played 13 games with the main KalPa team. This was in the SM-Liiga, Finland's top professional league. He even played alongside his father! At the end of that year, Kasperi was chosen to play for the Finland under-18 national team. He helped his team win a bronze medal at the 2013 IIHF World U18 Championships.
Becoming a Top Prospect
Before the NHL Draft, Kasperi was seen as one of Europe's best young players. He spent most of the 2013–14 season with KalPa. He scored 7 goals in 47 games. He was supposed to play for the Finland under-20 team at the 2014 World Junior Championship. However, he got injured right before the tournament and could not play.
Even with the injury, Kasperi was still highly rated. Central Scouting ranked him as the top European skater. The Pittsburgh Penguins picked Kasperi 22nd overall in the NHL Entry Draft. This was the second year in a row the Penguins picked a Finnish player in the first round. On July 11, 2014, Kapanen signed a three-year contract with the Penguins.
On July 1, 2015, Kasperi was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was a big trade that included star player Phil Kessel. At the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, Kapanen scored the winning goal in overtime against Russia. This helped Finland win the gold medal!
Playing in the NHL
Toronto Maple Leafs
Kasperi started the 2015–16 season with the Toronto Marlies. This team is the Maple Leafs' minor league team in the American Hockey League (AHL). He was the youngest player in the AHL but played very well. He made his NHL debut on February 29, 2016, with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played nine games but did not score any points before returning to the Marlies.
.jpg)
Kapanen returned to the Marlies for the next season. He quickly became one of their best players. He scored his first NHL goal on April 8, 2017, against the Penguins, the team that drafted him! This goal was very important. It helped the Maple Leafs get into the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2013. A week later, he scored a game-winning goal in double overtime against the Washington Capitals in the playoffs. The Maple Leafs eventually lost that series.
Kapanen spent some time between the Marlies and the Maple Leafs during the 2017–18 season. He scored his first playoff goal of the 2018 playoffs in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins. He became the youngest player in NHL history to score a shorthanded goal in a Game 7. After the Maple Leafs lost, Kapanen joined the Finland senior national team for the 2018 IIHF World Championship.
For the 2018–19 season, Kapanen started the year in the NHL. He played on the team's top line and had a great season. He finished with 20 goals and 44 points in 78 games. In June 2019, Kapanen signed a new three-year contract with the Maple Leafs.
Pittsburgh Penguins
On August 25, 2020, Kapanen was traded back to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He signed a new two-year contract with the Penguins on July 21, 2022.
St. Louis Blues
On February 25, 2023, the St. Louis Blues claimed Kapanen. This means they picked him up after his previous team made him available.
Edmonton Oilers
During the 2024–25 season, Kasperi Kapanen joined the Edmonton Oilers. He was claimed by the Oilers on November 19, 2024.
Kasperi's Family Life
Kasperi Kapanen was born in Kuopio, Finland. However, he spent much of his childhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was because his father, Sami, played for the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team. Kasperi also lived in Farmington, Connecticut, and Cary, North Carolina. He describes himself as a "kid from Finland."
Kasperi played with his father, Sami, for KalPa in Finland's top league for two seasons. Kasperi has three younger siblings: Cassandra, Camila, and Konsta. His grandfather, Hannu Kapanen, was also a professional ice hockey player. His uncle, Kimmo Kapanen, and cousin, Oliver Kapanen, also play hockey. His brother, Konsta, played in the 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
