Finnish defenseman Juuso Riikola, 30, has signed a long-term extension to remain in Langnau im Emmental, Switzerland with the SCL Tigers until 2027, the National League club announced on Friday.
“Juuso is a complete defenseman who shows his qualities both on the power play and in penalty killing,” said Tigers sports director Pascal Müller. “His versatility and his consistency make him a very important part of our team.”
Riikola came up through the ranks of the SaiPa and KalPa clubs in Finland, turning pro with KalPa during the 2012-13 season. He remained with the Kuopio-based club until 2018, playing a total of 314 Liiga regular-season and playoff games, recording 99 points and 159 penalty minutes.
Riikola played in North America from 2018 until 2022 in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. In 80 NHL games, he scored three goals and added 10 assists and 18 penalty minutes. The rest of the time he spent with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL.
Since returning to Europe, Riikola spent one season in Sweden with IK Oskarshamn before joining the Tigers last season.
Riikola has represented Finland at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship and at the 2018 and 2024 World Championships.
Riikola has three points in the Tigers’ first four National League games this season. He is one of four Finns on the team – the others being Saku Mäenalanen, Aleksi Saarela, captain Harri Pesonen and fellow defenseman Vili Saarijärvi. The team also includes 19-year-old Chicago Blackhawks prospect Jiří Felcman and 21-year-old Philadelphia Flyers prospect Brian Zanetti.
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