The Panthers selected Heponiemi 40th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft
One of the Florida Panthers top prospects is taking his talents overseas.
Aleksi Heponiemi has signed with EHC Biel of the National League in Switzerland.
The Panthers selected Heponiemi in the second round, 40th overall, of the 2017 NHL Draft.
He made the move to North American pro hockey in 2019 and has spent his time either in the NHL with the Panthers, or more often playing with Florida’s AHL affiliate.
Heponiemi’s past two seasons with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers saw him continue to develop a strong two-way game while accumulating 82 points over 118 games.
He’s played 25 games in the NHL, logging two goals and four assists.
Florida extended a qualifying offer to Heponiemi at the end of June, which means even though he’ll be playing in Europe, the Panthers will retain his NHL negotiating rights.
Heponiemi now will spend the season overseas, and at 24 years old, it makes you wonder where his career will go from here.
Listed at 5-foot-10 and 155 pounds, it was always going to be a struggle for Heponiemi to break through with the massive men who play in the NHL and AHL, but it’s certainly not impossible.
There are plenty of undersized players who have had long and successful careers playing pro hockey in North America.
It’s perfectly reasonable to think that he’s heading to a team where he’ll play lots of minutes and likely put up solid numbers, but then what?
Is a season playing in Switzerland going to be the jolt that his career needs to turn him into an NHL player?
It wouldn’t be the first time a player found success overseas after struggling to find their footing in the NHL.
It’s quite common, actually. There are plenty of former NHL draft picks in the KHL, the DEL in Germany, Liiga, and so on.
Time will tell where Heponiemi’s path takes him.