Former Charlotte Checkers forward Aleksi Heponiemi has signed a two-year deal in Sweden with HV71, it was announced earlier this week.
A 2017 second round pick of the Florida Panthers, Heponiemi spent the past two seasons playing in Switzerland's top pro league (NL) with EHC Biel-Bienne. In 2024-25, Heponiemi scored six goals and added 12 assists for 18 points in 37 regular season games.
Before heading back overseas full time, Heponiemi spent parts of four seasons in the Panthers organization, appearing in 25 NHL regular season games while putting up two goals and six points.
As Heponiemi signs in the SHL and joins HV71, he should be able to come into the team and make an immediate impact. Heponiemi's biggest knock in North America was his lack of size but the larger ice sizes in Sweden give him more time to display his skills and vision which he has plenty of. While his numbers regressed compared to last year, Heponiemi is still someone who teams can rely upon to be an offensive driver.