Leevi Meriläinen was claimed off waivers by the Vancouver Canucks on Friday.
The Vancouver Canucks have a new backup goaltender. On Friday, the organization claimed 24-year-old Leevi Meriläinen off waivers from the Ottawa Senators. The Finnish goaltender has played 34 career NHL games, posting a 16-14-3 record along with a save percentage of .885.
One of the reasons the Canucks were able to claim Meriläinen was their top spot on the waiver wire. According to Ryan Johnson, the organization had identified the now-former Senators goaltender as a target during the off-season and jumped at the opportunity to claim him. In speaking with the Vancouver media for the first time, Meriläinen revealed that he was not expecting to be picked up on waivers by the Canuks.
"To be honest, no," said Meriläinen. "I didn't think about it at all. I didn't know what to expect, so it was a bit of a, not like a shock, but still news to me that someone was gonna take me."
Luckily for Meriläinen, he has a long-standing connection with a player in Vancouver. That player is Aatu Räty, who is actually from the same Finnish town. When asked about his connection with Räty, Meriläinen said they have known each other for a long time.
"We live right by each other too during the summer. So yeah, I know him very well. We've been playing with each other from like when we were like, I don't know 10 or something like that. So yeah, I know him very well."
In addition to Räty, Meriläinen will be working with a few fellow Finns with the Canucks. Not only is starting goaltender Kevin Lankinen from Finland, but also goalie coach Marko Torenius. As Meriläinen explained, there can be some advantages to working with others who speak the same language as him.
"I guess there's some. So you don't get any language barrier or anything like that. But yeah, it's nice for sure. It's nice, but I don't know how big of a benefit it is, but we'll see."
With Vancouver set to play a back-to-back this weekend, Meriläinen could make his Canucks debut sooner rather than later. As mentioned, he has also won the backup job in Vancouver and will be on the bench for their season opener on Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers. Once considered one of the top young goalies in the world, Meriläinen has the potential to play a significant role for the Canucks this season.
Jan 13, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators goalie Leevi Merilainen (1) in the second period against the Vancouver Canucks at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN ImagesMake sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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