Former Columbus Blue Jackets 7th round draft pick, and veteran of 275 games, Markus Nutivaara has come out of retirement after missing the past several years.
Nutivaara has signed a deal to play for Kärpät of Liiga. Former CBJ defenseman Marcus Björk also plays for Kärpät.
Nutivaara said in a Kärpät press release, "I have butterflies in my stomach and I feel like a little boy!" He goes on to say, "The starting points are certainly challenging. I had hip surgery in November – it took a couple of months until I started to feel like I could move well. I went to watch a Kärppien game and realized that I couldn't just watch hockey, I wanted to be playing myself! I didn't have that feeling before the surgery because I was in so much pain. As the rehabilitation process progressed, I had the playful idea of trying it! Let's get my body back in top shape – there's nothing to lose. With good luck, you'll be able to play, with bad luck, at least you'll be in good shape and can live normally for the rest of your life."
Nutivaara was traded from Columbus to Florida on October 8, 2020. He played 31 games in Florida before suffering an injury that would derail his career. On July 13, 2022, he signed with San Jose but would never play a game due to the hip injury he had been suffering through. He would announce his retirement following the 22-23 season. He 17 goals and had 60 points for Columbus in 244 games, and is widely considered one of the best late round draft picks the Blue Jackets had ever taken.
But now, Nutivaara is going to give it another go, and we wish him nothing but luck.
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