Finnish forward Miro Aaltonen, 31, will join SC Bern when his suspension ends on Feb. 18, the National League club announced on Wednesday.
Aaltonen was playing for rival club EHC Kloten when his one-month suspension for a doping violation began and that club subsequently cut ties with him. Aaltonen later admitted that he had ingested a banned recreational drug.
“During the break before Christmas 2024, I was in a nightclub and apparently used a substance for recreational purposes that does not improve performance, but is prohibited in sports,” Aaltonen said at the time of his suspension. “I am seeking professional help for the situation and will face the consequences of my actions. I want to return to my profession as soon as I am allowed to. I sincerely apologize for my actions to my loved ones, the Kloten organization, the fans and my teammates.”
In December 2024, prior to his suspension, Aaltonen signed a two-year contract to play for Bern starting next season. Players signing contracts to play for other teams before their current contracts expire is legal and common in Switzerland.
“Miro Aaltonen sincerely regrets his offense,” Bern CEO Marc Lüthi said in a statement on behalf of the club. “In several personal discussions, he made this clear, emphatic and credible to us. Since the one-month ban would not have affected his employment contract with SC Bern from May 1, 2025, he would have started at that time as planned. However, after careful consideration, we have decided for various reasons to include Miro on our team now.”
Lüthi continued: “We see ourselves as having a great responsibility towards our young players, our fans and our sponsors. We are not undermining this with this decision – on the contrary, anyone can make a mistake and deserves a second chance. What matters is how you deal with it. Miro Aaltonen has apologized and accepted the consequences of his offense. Now we are looking to the future together and are convinced that Miro will make use of his second chance at SC Bern.”
Bern currently sits fourth in the 14-team National League with 78 points in 46 games. Aaltonen will be eligible to play in the team’s final four regular-season games, starting Feb. 21 at Ajoie. He will join a team that includes American center Austin Czarnik, Finnish right winger Waltteri Merelä, Austrian center Benjamin Baumgartner, German winger Dominik Kahun and Swedish defenseman Patrik Nemeth.
Aaltonen was chosen in the sixth round, 177th overall, by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2013-14 NHL Entry Draft. Four years later, he signed an entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs and spent the 2017-18 with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. With 56 points in 84 regular-season and playoff games, Aaltonen helped the Marlies to the Calder Cup championship.
Aaltonen has also played professionally in Finland for the now-defunct Espoo Blues and in the KHL for Vityaz Podolsk and SKA St. Petersburg. Aaltonen had played for Kloten since 2021 prior to the latest events.
Internationally, Aaltonen represented Finland at one IIHF U-18 World Championship, two World Junior Championships, the 2017 World Championship and the 2022 Winter Olympics. In Beijing, Aaltonen had four points in six games, helping Finland win its first-ever Olympic gold medal in ice hockey.