Finnish d-man Sami Niku signs in Kloten

Finnish defenseman Sami Niku, 27, has signed a one-year contract with EHC Kloten, the Swiss club announced on Tuesday.

Niku was a seventh-round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2015. He played in North America from 2017 to 2022, playing 67 NHL games with the Jets and Montreal Canadiens, and the rest of the time in the AHL. In 2017-18 with the Manitoba Moose, he won the Eddie Shore Award as best defenseman in the AHL.

Niku has spent the past two seasons in the Finnish Liiga with his native JYP club and Ilves Tampere, recording 42 and 49 points, respectively – the latter total led the league among d-men.

“Sami is a great skater and offensive defenseman,” said Kloten sports director Ricardo Schödler. “He will be able to help us in particular when we have a man advantage and improve our power play. He also brings a lot of international experience to Kloten. We are delighted to be able to fill this important import position with him.”

Internationally, Niku was a member of the Finnish team that won gold at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship on home ice in Helsinki.