Finnish forward Miikka Salomäki, 32, has signed a one-year contract with SaiPa Lappeenranta, the Finnish Liiga club announced on Friday.

Salomäki has spent the last 12 seasons abroad in various leagues across North America and Europe, including the NHL. He played last season for Sparta Prague in the Czech Extraliga.

“I feel very good about coming to SaiPa,” said Salomäki. “I followed the team’s progress last season with interest and, of course, the decision was easy also because I already know both Hapa (sports director Harri Aho) and Raipen (head coach Raimo Helminen).”

“We’re very happy to have an experienced player like Miikka join SaiPa,” said Aho. “He’s a versatile and hard-working player who, as a power forward, fits perfectly into the team’s playing style. We were looking for a top-level player and we’re very pleased with this acquisition.”

Salomäki hails from northern Finland and came of age in the Kärpät system, but he has played abroad since he was 20, save for nine games with IFK Helsinki in 2021-22.

Miikka Salomäki leaves Lausanne, signs with Sparta Prague Veteran Finnish forward Miikka Salomäki has signed a one-year contract with HC Sparta Prague, <a href="https://www.hcsparta.cz/clanek.asp?id=Treti-posilou-Sparty-je-Miikka-Salomaki-16233">the Czech Extraliga club announced on Wednesday</a>.

He was picked in the second round, 52nd overall, by the Nashville Predators in 2011. He played 167 regular-season games and 30 playoff games with Nashville between 2014 and 2019, spending the rest of the time with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. He then spent stints in the Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche organizations without playing any NHL games for either team before heading back to Europe in 2021.

Salomäki spent one season in Sweden for Örebro HK and two in Switzerland for Lausanne HC. In 2023-24, he had 25 points in 37 regular-season games and was a key presence for the team as Lausanne advanced to the seventh game of the National League final.

Last season with Sparta Prague, Salomäki had nine points in 36 regular-season and playoff games. This move completes somewhat of a trade between the two clubs, as in earlier in the off-season, Sparta signed former SaiPa defenseman Mark Pysyk.

Former Sabres First-Rounder Signs With Sparta Prague Canadian defenseman Mark Pysyk, 33, has signed a one-year contract with Sparta Prague, the Czech Extraliga club announced on Thursday. The former NHLer is coming off a season where he helped SaiPa to the Finnish Liiga finals.

Salomäki joins a SaiPa team that advanced to the Liiga finals last season, which followed five straight seasons of missing the playoffs.

Salomäki is the only player on the roster with any NHL experience – as Pysyk was last season. Salomäki and defenseman Teemu Kivihalme were briefly teammates with the Toronto Marlies in 2019-20.

Photo © Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images: Miikka Salomäki of the Nashville Predators bodychecks Zdeno Chára of the Boston Bruins during the 2017-18 NHL season. 

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