Samu Salminen
{{Short description|Finnish ice hockey player (born 2003)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox ice hockey biography
| name = Samu Salminen
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|4|9|df=y}}
| birth_place = Helsinki, Finland
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lb = 185
| shoots = Left
| league = NCAA
| team = University of Denver
| draft = 68th overall
| draft_year = 2021
| draft_team = New Jersey Devils
}}
Samu Salminen (born 9 April 2003) is a Finnish ice hockey forward for the University of Denver of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). He was drafted in the third round, 68th overall, by the New Jersey Devils in the 2021 NHL entry draft.
Playing career
Salminen's youth hockey career was played in the Jokerit system. He made his U20 SM-sarja debut in the 2019–20 season at 16 years old, posting 20 points in 23 games. In December 2019, he broke his collarbone.{{Cite news |last=Wheeler |first=Scott |title=Devils prospect Samu Salminen's NHL pursuit remains on track |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3183277/2022/03/29/devils-prospect-samu-salminens-nhl-pursuit-remains-on-track-despite-less-conventional-path/ |access-date=9 November 2023 |language=en}}
In the 2020–21 season, postponed until January 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic,{{Cite web |date=18 January 2021 |title=State of Hockey around the World during Pandemic |url=https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/state-hockey-world-pandemic/ |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=McKeen's Hockey |language=en-US}} Salminen was named alternate captain and improved his scoring to 26 points in 17 games.{{Cite web |last=Fischer |first=John |date=24 July 2021 |title=2021 NHL Draft: Devils Pick Samu Salminen at 68th Overall in the Third Round |url=https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2021/7/24/22591883/2021-nhl-draft-devils-pick-samu-salminen-68th-overall-third-round-jokerit-finland |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=All About The Jersey |language=en}} He had surgery on his collarbone shortly before the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, where he was selected in the third round, 68th overall by the New Jersey Devils.
As he was committed to the University of Denver, Salminen chose not to turn pro in the 2021–22 season. Although he considered accelerating his final year of school in Finland to join Denver immediately, or attending class remotely while playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL), the pandemic ultimately forced him to remain in the U20 SM-sarja for one more year. Promoted to captain, he scored 48 points in 44 games, the most on his team by a 10-point margin.
In August 2022, an admissions issue in Denver forced Salminen to change his commitment to the University of Connecticut. Following a related delay with his travel visa, Salminen finally made his NCAA debut on 27 October 2022, against Boston College.{{Cite web |last=Connolly |first=Daniel |date=27 October 2022 |title=Lines: Samu Salminen to make his UConn debut |url=https://uconnhockeyhub.substack.com/p/lines-samu-salminen-to-make-his-uconn |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=UConn Hockey Hub}} After a slow start that saw him score only two points in the first 10 games, his production skyrocketed, seeing him finish the season with 17 points in 27 games and playing on the team's top line.{{Cite web |last=JamesJTracy |date=25 July 2023 |title=New Jersey Devils Prospect Update: Five Prospects Poised to "Breakout" in 2023-24 |url=https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2023/7/25/23793134/new-jersey-devils-prospect-update-five-prospects-poised-to-breakout-in-2023-24 |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=All About The Jersey |language=en}} He and the Huskies were eliminated by UMass Lowell in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Hockey East tournament.{{Cite web |title=Box Score - College Hockey, Inc. |url=https://collegehockeyinc.com/box/final/20230311/uml/con/m/ |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=collegehockeyinc.com |language=en}}
On 26 January 2024, Salminen scored a Michigan goal against Sacred Heart University.{{Cite tweet |number=1750991036342825344 |user=UConnMHOC |title=WE HAVE A MICHIGAN GOAL IN CT‼️ Hello Samu Salminen🔥🔥 @hockey_east {{!}} @NCAAIceHockey |date=26 January 2024 |access-date=26 January 2024 }} On 2 February, in a game against Providence College, Salminen received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for an illegal check to the head.{{cite web |title=Huskies Fall to No.10 Providence |url=https://uconnhuskies.com/news/2024/2/2/mens-ice-hockey-huskies-fall-to-no-10-providence.aspx |website=uconnhuskies.com |publisher=UConn |access-date=13 February 2024 |date=2 February 2024}} He was later suspended for one game.{{cite web |title=Hockey East suspends UConn's Salminen, UMass Lowell's Meehan one game each for major penalties in Feb. 2 games |url=https://www.uscho.com/2024/02/03/hockey-east-suspends-uconns-salminen-umass-lowells-meehan-one-game-each-for-major-penalties-in-feb-2-games/ |website=uscho.com |publisher=U.S. College Hockey Online |access-date=13 February 2024 |date=3 February 2024}} After finishing the season third on the Huskies with seven goals and adding ten assists for seventeen points, it was announced that Salminen would be transferring to Denver.{{cite web |title=UConn F Samu Salminen plans to transfer to Denver |url=https://www.therinklive.com/mens-college/nchc/uconn-f-samu-salminen-plans-to-transfer-to-denver |website=The Rink Live |access-date=9 June 2024 |date=1 May 2024}}
International play
Salminen has represented Finland at the under-16, under-17, under-18, and under-20 levels, although he never played in an under-20 tournament.{{Cite web |title=Samu Salminen at eliteprospects.com |url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/554239/samu-salminen |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=www.eliteprospects.com |language=en}}
In his international tournament debut at the 2019 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, Salminen scored three goals and five points in five games.{{Cite web |title=Rosters |url=https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/national-championships/men/world-u17/2019/schedule-results/stats/team-rosters |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=www.hockeycanada.ca |language=en-ca}}
Representing Finland at the 2021 IIHF World U18 Championships, Salminen scored seven goals and nine points in seven games.{{Cite web |title=IIHF - Finland |url=https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2021/wm18/teams/statistics/3793/finland |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation |language=en}}
Personal life
Salminen has two hockey-playing older brothers, both now retired. Saku Salminen is a seventh-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning who most notably played in the SM-liiga,{{Cite web |title=Saku Salminen at eliteprospects.com |url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/43302/saku-salminen |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=www.eliteprospects.com |language=en}} and Sami Salminen played for Northern Michigan University and professionally in the Mestis.{{Cite web |title=Sami Salminen at eliteprospects.com |url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/25267/sami-salminen |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=www.eliteprospects.com |language=en}} Their father Pekka played minor professional in Finland before becoming a coach.
Career statistics
= Regular season and playoffs =
| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! rowspan="102" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" |Regular season ! rowspan="102" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" |Playoffs | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
!Team !League !GP !G !A !Pts !PIM !GP !G !A !Pts !PIM | ||||||||
| 2019–20
| Jokerit | 23 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 10
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2021–22 | Jokerit | U20 SM-sarja | 17 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 10
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022–23
| Jokerit | U20 SM-sarja | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2022–23 | UConn | HE | 27 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 14
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023–24
| UConn | HE | 35 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 35
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024-25
|NCHC |44 |10 |18 |28 |21 |— !— |— |— |— | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" |NCAA totals ! 106 | 26 | 36 | 62 | 70
! — | — | — | — | — |
= International =
| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" id="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em" |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
!Year !Team !Event !Result ! rowspan="102" bgcolor="#ffffff" | !GP !G !A !Pts !PIM |
| 2019
|Finland |U17 |7th |5 |3 |2 |5 |6 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
|2021 |U18 |4th |7 |7 |2 |9 |2 |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="4" |Junior totals !12 !10 !4 !14 !8 |
Awards and honors
| class="wikitable"
!Award !Year !Ref |
| colspan="3" |U20 SM-sarja |
|---|
| First All-Star Team
| 2022 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Ice hockey stats}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salminen, Samu}}
Category:Finnish ice hockey centres
Category:Finnish expatriate ice hockey people
Category:UConn Huskies men's ice hockey players
Category:New Jersey Devils draft picks