Finnish defenseman Sami Niku, 28, has signed a two-year contract with Lausanne HC, the National League club announced on Wednesday.

Niku moves to Lausanne from Kloten, where last season in his first year playing in Switzerland, he contributed 31 points and 36 penalty minutes in 61 regular-season and playoff games.

“Sami Niku has undeniable talent, which we already noticed before his excellent first season in Switzerland,” said Lausanne sports director John Fust. “With his profile as a complete defender, capable of contributing on offense while playing solid defense, he will strengthen the Lausanne blueline for the next two seasons. We are convinced that he will also bring his international experience to our locker room.”

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.

Finnish d-man Sami Niku signs in Kloten Finnish defenseman Sami Niku, 27, has signed a one-year contract with EHC Kloten,&nbsp;<a href="https://ehc-kloten.ch/news/featured/sami-niku-zum-ehc-kloten">the Swiss club announced on Tuesday</a>.

Niku then spent 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.

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

This past season, Lausanne finished first in the National League regular season and then lost in the finals to the ZSC Lions from Zurich for the second year in a row.

Other than Niku, Lausanne has under contract for the 2025-26 season German forward Dominik Kahun, Finnish centers Janne Kuokkanen and Antti Suomela, Finnish New York Rangers prospect Lauri Pajuniemi and French Washington Capitals goaltending prospect Antoine Keller.

Lausanne signs trio of Finns: Janne Kuokkanen, Lauri Pajuniemi, Ahti Oksanen Clubs from Switzerland’s National League continue to skim many of the top available European-based players and on Monday, it was Lausanne HC’s turn. <a href="https://lausannehc.ch/2024/06/03/le-lausanne-hockey-club-se-renforce-avec-larrivee-de-trois-nouveaux-attaquants-etrangers/">The Swiss club announced the signings of a trio of Finnish forwards</a>: Janne Kuokkanen, Lauri Pajuniemi and Ahti Oksanen.