Arttu Ruotsalainen not out of work long

A day after he agreed to terminate his contract in Switzerland with Lugano a season early, Arttu Ruotsalainen has found a new home. The 26-year-old Finnish forward has signed a one-year contract with Frölunda HC, the SHL club announced on Friday.

“Frölunda was interested and I felt that I needed something new,” Ruotsalainen “Frölunda is a top team in the SHL and I have only heard good things about the club. This is going to be exciting.”

Describing his style of play, Ruotsalainen said, “I am a hard-working and all-round player with an offensive touch. I want to have the puck a lot and can play on both the power play and the penalty kill.”

“We have had a dialogue for a while and are happy that it is finished,” said Frölunda sports director Fredrik Sjöström. “Arttu is an offensively skilled player who can contribute to the power play. He also has experience playing in North America and Switzerland. He will fit in well with us.”

A native of Oulu, Finland, Ruotsalainen developed through the local Kärpät system before turning pro with Ässät Pori. He recorded 150 points in 275 Liiga games over six seasons before signing with the Buffalo Sabres in 2020. Over the next two seasons, he played 35 games with the Sabres, recording 10 points, and 80 AHL games with the Rochester Americans, recording 76 points.

He’s spent the past two seasons in Switzerland’s National League. After recording 43 points in 55 games with EHC Kloten, Ruotsalainen signed a two-year deal with HC Lugano. However, he suffered a significant decrease in production, tallying 16 points in 51 regular-season and playoff games.

The deal with Frölunda comes a day after Lugano simultaneously announced the signing of Czech forward Radim Zohorna and the termination of Ruotsalainen’s contract.

“We came to the conclusion that, for the growth of the team, it is important to count on a forward profile with technical and physical characteristics different from those of Arttu,” Lugano GM Hnat Domenichelli reasoned. “We have worked with him to find a solution for his future. I would like to thank him for his dedication and professionalism and wish him all the best for his career.”