Ville Koivunen
{{Short description|Finnish ice hockey player (born 2003)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| name = Ville Koivunen
| image = Ville Koivunen 2022.08.15.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Koivunen at the 2022 World Junior Championships
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|6|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = Oulu, Finland
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 11
| weight_lbs = 161
| position = Forward
| shoots = Left
| league = NHL
| team = Pittsburgh Penguins
| prospect_league = AHL
| prospect_team =
| former_teams = Oulun Kärpät
| ntl_team =
| draft = 51st overall
| draft_year = 2021
| draft_team = Carolina Hurricanes
| career_start = 2021
| career_end =
}}
Ville Koivunen (born 13 June 2003) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the second round, 51st overall, by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2021 NHL entry draft.
Playing career
During the 2020–21 season, he served as an alternate captain and recorded 23 goals and 26 assists in 38 games with Oulun Kärpät's junior team in Finland's top junior league, U20 SM-sarja. He was subsequently named the league's Rookie of the Year and selected to the Second All-Star Team after he ranked third in the league in goals and points.{{cite web |url=https://nhlentrydraft.com/news/2021-nhl-draft-ville-koivunen-rookie-of-the-year/ |title=Koivunen named U20 SM-sarja rookie of the year |website=nhlentrydraft.com |first=Josh |last=Bell |date=26 March 2021 |access-date=19 December 2021}} He made his professional debut for Kärpät during the 2021–22 season.
Koivunen was drafted in the second round, 51st overall, by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2021 NHL entry draft.{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/canes-select-13-players-on-second-day-of-draft/c-325795466 |title=Canes Select 13 Players on Second Day of Draft |website=NHL.com |date=24 July 2021 |access-date=19 December 2021}} On 15 August 2021, the Hurricanes signed Koivunen to a three-year, entry-level contract.{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/canes-sign-ville-koivunen-to-entry-level-contract/c-325975050 |title=Canes Sign Ville Koivunen to Entry-Level Contract |website=NHL.com |date=15 August 2021 |access-date=19 December 2021}}
On 7 March 2024, Koivunen was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with Michael Bunting, Cruz Lucius, Vasili Ponomaryov and two conditional 2024 draft picks, in exchange for Jake Guentzel and Ty Smith.{{cite web |title=Penguins Acquire Forwards Michael Bunting, Ville Koivunen, Vasily Ponomarev, Cruz Lucius and Conditional 2024 First-Round and Fifth-Round Draft Picks from the Carolina Hurricanes in Exchange for Jake Guentzel and Ty Smith |url=https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/penguins-acquire-forwards-michael-bunting-ville-koivunen-vasily-ponomarev-cruz-lucius-and-conditional-2024-first-round-and-fifth-round-draft-picks-from-the-carolina-hurricanes-in-exchange-for-jake-guentzel-and-ty-smith |website=NHL.com |access-date=9 March 2024 |date=7 March 2024}} Koivunen began the 2024–25 season with the Penguins' AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. On 29 March 2025, Koivunen was recalled by the Penguins. Prior to being recalled he recorded 21 goals and 34 assists in 62 games. His 21 goals are the most by a WBS rookie player since Daniel Sprong scored 32 goals during the 2017–18 season.{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/rookie-duo-rewarded-penguins-call-up-mcgroarty-koivunen |title=Rookie Duo Rewarded: Penguins Call Up McGroarty, Koivunen |website=NHL.com |first=Michelle |last=Crechiolo |date=29 March 2025 |access-date=29 March 2025}} He made his NHL debut the next day in a game against the Ottawa Senators.{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/crosby-malkin-and-ville-a-childhood-dream-fulfilled |title=Crosby, Malkin… and Ville: A Childhood Dream Fulfilled |website=NHL.com |first=Michelle |last=Crechiolo |date=31 March 2025 |access-date=31 March 2025}} On 3 April 2025, in a game against the St. Louis Blues, he scored his first career NHL point, recording the primary assist on Rutger McGroarty's first career NHL goal.{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/mcgroarty-scores-first-nhl-goal-koivunen-gets-first-nhl-point |title=McGroarty Scores First NHL Goal, Koivunen Gets First NHL Point |website=NHL.com |first=Michelle |last=Crechiolo |date=April 3, 2025 |access-date=April 3, 2025}}
International play
{{MedalTableTop|name=}}
{{MedalCountry|{{ihj|FIN}}}}
{{MedalSport|Ice hockey}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Junior Championships}}
{{MedalSilver|2022 Canada|}}
{{MedalBottom}}
Koivunen represented Finland under-18 team at the 2021 IIHF World U18 Championships where he recorded four goals and six assists in seven games.{{cite web |url=https://nhlentrydraft.com/news/tuomaala-lambert-headline-finland-u18-roster/ |title=Tuomaala, Lambert headline Finland's U18 roster |website=nhlentrydraft.com |first=Josh |last=Bell |date=18 April 2021 |access-date=19 December 2021}} He represented Finland junior team at the 2022 World Junior Championships and won a silver medal.{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/ten-canes-prospects-selected-for-world-juniors/c-329026052 |title=10 Canes Prospects Selected For World Juniors |website=NHL.com |date=15 December 2021 |access-date=19 December 2021}}
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="100" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5"| Regular season ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5"| Playoffs | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Season ! Team ! League ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM | ||||||||
| 2020–21
| U20 | 38 | 23 | 26 | 49 | 16
| 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2021–22 | Oulun Kärpät | Liiga | 53 | 11 | 18 | 29 | 20
| 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022–23
| Oulun Kärpät | Liiga | 52 | 12 | 16 | 28 | 26
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2022–23 | AHL | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023–24
| Oulun Kärpät | Liiga | 59 | 22 | 34 | 56 | 26
| 12 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 14 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2023–24 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | — | — | — | — | —
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | Liiga totals ! 164 !! 45 !! 68 !! 113 !! 72 ! 21 !! 6 !! 9 !! 15 !! 14 |
=International=
| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em;" | ||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year ! Team ! Event ! Result ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM | ||||
| 2019
| Finland | U17 | 7th | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2021 | Finland | U18 | 4th | 7 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| 2022
| Finland | WJC | {{silver2}} | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2023 | Finland | WJC | 5th | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="4" | Junior totals ! 23 !! 4 !! 10 !! 14 !! 2 |
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Ice hockey stats}}
- {{AHL profile|9649}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koivunen, Ville}}
Category:21st-century Finnish sportsmen
Category:Carolina Hurricanes draft picks
Category:Chicago Wolves players
Category:Finnish ice hockey players
Category:Ice hockey people from Oulu
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players
Category:Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players
{{Finland-icehockey-player-stub}}