Moving back to the SHL has been paying off for Joona Koppanen early on.
During the off-season, former Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins forward Joona Koppanen signed with Lulea HF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
Koppanen signing overseas this summer came after he split this past season between the NHL with Pittsburgh and the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Early on, Koppanen's decision to head back to Sweden is certainly paying off.
Koppanen had a fantastic season debut for Lulea HF, as he scored three goals and recorded an assist. With this, he has undoubtedly started the season on a strong note and will be looking to keep it up for the SHL club.
If Koppanen can continue to produce offense for Lulea HF while also making an impact with his physicality, he should be a key part of their roster this season.
Koppanen was selected by the Bruins in the 5th round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, 135th overall. In 33 NHL games over four seasons split between the Bruins and Penguins, the 6-foot-5 forward posted one goal, three points, and 62 hits.
In 403 career AHL games over nine seasons, he recorded 61 goals, 101 assists and 162 points.
