Olli Määttä facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Olli Määttä
Määttä with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017
Born	(1994-08-22) 22 August 1994 (age 30) Jyväskylä, Finland
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	206 lb (93 kg; 14 st 10 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Utah Hockey Club Pittsburgh Penguins Chicago Blackhawks Los Angeles Kings Detroit Red Wings
National team	Finland
NHL Draft	22nd overall, 2012 Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career	2009–present

Olli Määttä (born 22 August 1994) is a professional ice hockey player from Finland. He plays as a defenceman for the Utah Hockey Club in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Pittsburgh Penguins picked him 22nd overall in the 2012 NHL draft. Määttä has also played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, and Detroit Red Wings.

Määttä was the first player chosen in the 2011 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. He played for the Finnish junior team in several big tournaments. These included the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championships and the World Junior Championships in 2011, 2012, and 2013. He is known for blocking shots and his smart play. At just 19 years old, Määttä joined Finland's team for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Playing Career

Junior Hockey Years

Olli Määttä started playing junior hockey for his hometown team's under-16 program. He was only 14 years old when he played his first game for JYP U16. The next year, Määttä scored 19 points in seven games. This helped his team avoid being moved to a lower league. He became an assistant captain and scored 22 points in 21 games. This made him the top-scoring defenceman on his team.

Määttä's strong play led him to play for JYP's under-18 and under-20 teams. He also played for Finland's national under-16 team. He scored 13 points in 13 games for the national team.

The next season, Määttä moved up to JYP's under-20 team. He also played for the D Team in the Mestis league. This is the second-highest level of hockey in Finland. Määttä continued to play for Finland's national under-18 and under-20 teams. He led all Finnish defencemen in scoring at the under-18 tournament. He helped Finland finish fifth. At the 2011 World Junior Championships, he became the youngest player to play for Finland's World Junior team.

After his success in Finland, Määttä was picked by the London Knights in the 2011 CHL Import Draft. He decided to play major junior hockey in Canada. This started his Ontario Hockey League (OHL) career with London.

London Knights

Määttä joined the London Knights, a strong team hoping to win the J. Ross Robertson Cup. The Knights had a great start, winning their first five games easily. London finished the regular season with the best record in the OHL. They also had the best defence in their conference. Määttä led the team's defencemen in scoring with 32 points in 58 games. He missed six games to play for Finland at the 2012 World Junior Championships.

During the 2012 World Junior Championships, Määttä was injured in the first game. He missed the rest of the tournament. Finland finished fourth without him. In the OHL playoffs, Määttä played very well. He scored 23 points in 19 games. The Knights won their first OHL title since 2005.

Winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup meant London played in the 2012 Memorial Cup. Määttä did not score any points in the round-robin games. London won two games and went straight to the championship. They faced the Shawinigan Cataractes again. The game was very close and went into overtime. Shawinigan scored the winning goal, ending the Knights' great season.

After the season, Määttä was ranked as one of the top North American skaters. The Pittsburgh Penguins picked him 22nd overall in the 2012 NHL draft. He signed an entry-level contract with the Penguins in September.

Määttä started the 2012–13 season well. The Knights went on a 24-game winning streak. In December, Määttä played for Finland at the 2013 World Junior Championships. Finland finished seventh in the tournament.

When he returned to London, Määttä helped the Knights finish first again. They had the second-best offense and third-best defence in the OHL. London won their conference and faced the Barrie Colts for the OHL title. The Knights were down three games to one but came back to win game seven. Määttä scored a goal, helping London win their second OHL title in two years.

London hoped to win the 2013 Memorial Cup after losing the year before. They started strong, beating the Saskatoon Blades. Määttä did not score any points in the round-robin games. London lost their next two games. Their 1–2 record sent them to a tie-breaker game with Saskatoon. London won 6–1. The next day, they played Portland in the semifinal. London played good defence but only scored one goal. Määttä did not score, and London lost, ending their season.

Professional Career

Pittsburgh Penguins

Olli Määttä played well during the Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp. He earned a spot on the team for the 2013–14 season. He got his first NHL points on 8 October 2013. He assisted on two goals in a 5–2 win. On 19 October, Määttä scored his first NHL goal. He played in every game for the Penguins through Christmas. He usually played around 16 minutes per game.

Due to injuries to other Penguins' defencemen, Määttä's ice time increased. He played over 21 minutes per game in December. He also started scoring more points. Määttä played a key role in the Penguins' success during this time. On 6 March 2014, Määttä scored two goals in a game.

On 9 October 2014, Määttä had three assists in the first game of the 2014–15 season. Later that month, he had a medical procedure to remove a growth from his neck. He recovered quickly and returned to play just two weeks later. In December, Määttä re-injured his shoulder. He missed 16 games. In January 2015, he needed another surgery on his shoulder. He also became sick with the mumps.

Määttä won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

On 18 November 2015, Määttä was injured during a game. He missed 3–4 weeks with an upper body injury. In the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Määttä was hit in the head during a game. He returned a few games later. Määttä won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016.

Määttä (right) races John Tavares for the puck in a game against the New York Islanders in 2017.

Määttä left a game on 17 February 2017 due to an injury. It was later confirmed he had a broken hand. He missed 24 games after surgery. Määttä returned for the last game of the 2016–17 regular season. He won the Stanley Cup again with the Penguins in 2017.

During the 2017–18 season, Määttä played his 300th NHL game. He played in all 82 games that season. He scored 29 points, matching his best season. In the 2018–19 season, Määttä scored 1 goal and 13 assists. He also blocked 116 shots and made 97 hits in 60 games.

Chicago Blackhawks

On 15 June 2019, Määttä was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. In the 2019–20 season, he scored four goals and 17 points in 65 games. He played about 18 minutes per game. In nine playoff games, he led the team with a plus-seven rating. He also scored three goals and six points.

Los Angeles Kings

On 4 October 2020, Määttä was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. He played for them for two seasons.

Detroit Red Wings

On 13 July 2022, Määttä signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings. On 16 February 2023, he signed a two-year contract extension with the Red Wings. He played for the Red Wings until the start of the 2024-25 season.

Utah Hockey Club

The Utah Hockey Club had many injured defencemen at the start of their first season. On 29 October 2024, Määttä was traded from the Red Wings to Utah.

International Play

Medal record
Representing  Finland
Winter Olympics
Bronze	2014 Sochi
World Championships
Silver	2021 Latvia

Määttä played in the IIHF World Junior Championships in 2011, 2012, and 2013. In 2011, he became the youngest Finnish player ever to play in the under-20 tournament. He was injured in a game against Canada in 2012. Määttä returned to play for Finland's under-18 team in the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championships. He was an assistant captain and was named one of Finland's top three players.

In 2014, Määttä was chosen to play for Finland at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. He was one of the team's top scorers. He had five points (three goals and two assists) in six games. Määttä scored Finland's final goal in the bronze medal game. Finland won 5–0 against the United States, earning a bronze medal.

In 2016, Määttä played for Team Finland in the World Cup of Hockey 2016. He did not score any points in the main tournament. In 2021, Määttä played for Team Finland in his first World Championship. Finland won a silver medal, losing to Canada in the final game. He also played in the 2023 and 2024 World Championships.

Personal Life

Olli Määttä started playing hockey in 2000. He told his parents that all the other kids were playing hockey. Määttä has two older brothers, Antti and Eero.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2011	Finland	WJC	6th		6	0	0	0	0
2011	Finland	U18	5th		6	1	3	4	0
2012	Finland	WJC	4th		1	0	0	0	0
2013	Finland	WJC	7th		5	1	2	3	2
2014	Finland	OG			6	3	2	5	0
2016	Finland	WCH	8th		3	0	0	0	0
2021	Finland	WC			10	0	2	2	0
2023	Finland	WC	7th		8	0	5	5	0
2024	Finland	WC	8th		8	1	2	3	2
Junior totals					18	2	5	7	2
Senior totals					35	4	11	15	2

Awards and Honors