One former St. Louis Blues player is shining over in Finland
Where are they now? It's intriguing to track down former Blues players and see where they are currently playing and how they are performing. One of their alumni is having a fantastic start in Finland.
During the years 2007 to 2014, this ex-St. Louis Blues forward started his professional playing career in his home country for three-and-a-half seasons before transferring to Russia to play in the KHL.
The St. Louis Blues drafted him in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in the third round, 65th overall, and held onto his signing rights before finally bringing him over after he was a KHL all-star, an Olympic bronze medalist, and an IIHF Men's World Championship silver medalist during the 2013-14 season.
The player we are talking about is Finnish center Jori Lehtera.
Lehtera, 38, plays for HIFK in the top Finnish league Liiga, and is second in league scoring after 10 games. His 17 points sit one point behind Jens Looke for first, but his 14 assists lead the league.
Last season, Lehtera led the league in assists, displaying an impressive playmaker stat line of 50 assists and only six goals in 57 games. However, his 2022-23 season has to be one of the most memorable years of his career.
After playing three years in the KHL following his five-year tenure in the NHL, Jori returned home to play for Tappara, where he won the Finnish Elite League Championship and Champions Hockey League Championship.
Lehtera led the league in assists (46), led the playoffs in scoring (17), finished with the best faceoff percentage (60.50%), and was voted to the Liiga's all-star team.
At 38 years old, the former Blues forward — who played 218 games for the organization from 2014 to 2017 — is still playing at an elite level overseas and on pace to lead his league in assists for the third year.
Blues fans probably best remember Lehtera for his involvement in the trade that brought captain Brayden Schenn to St. Louis. But, he also played an impactful third-line role for the organization during their run to the Western Conference Finals in 2016.
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