The Oshawa Generals lose a significant piece to their forward lineup for the 2024-25 OHL season

Rasmus Kumpulainen’s time in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals has come to an end. The Finnish centerman is returning home to play for the Lahti Pelicans in Liiga.

It was reported last week by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler that Kumpulainen was heading back to play for his hometown team in Finland.

The Minnesota Wild second-round draft pick spent one season in the OHL, recording 28 goals and 56 points in 58 games, and added 11 points in 21 playoff games with Oshawa. 

The depth Kumpulainen brought down the middle of the ice was a terrific add by the team's management, which helped them win the Eastern Conference Championship in 2023-24.

Now, there is a massive hole to be filled, and even Oshawa’s first-line center Calum Ritchie isn’t a lock to return if he impresses and makes Colorado’s opening night roster out of training camp.

Kumpulainen, 18, grew up in Lahti Finland, and played for the Pelicans youth organization for many years. He was drafted out of the U20 Pelicans in 2023 by Minnesota in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and according to Scott Wheeler, it has been a dream of his to play for the men’s team in Lahti.

The Generals drafted another Finnish forward in the 2024 CHL Import Draft, Lauri Sinivuori, in hopes that they can sign him and have him replace the void his countrymate left.

Sinivuori, 18, has represented Finland on the international stage on numerous occasions. He stood out at the World U17 Hockey Challenge in 2022 when he recorded six points in seven games on the way to capturing a bronze medal.

In the summer of last year, he was at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and tallied three assists in five games in a fourth-place finish for the Fins.

Lastly, he was at the IIHF U18 Men’s World Championships where he played primarily as a top-six forward for Finland until their quarterfinals loss to Sweden.

Sinivuori scored 10 goals and 25 points in 34 games for HIFK’s U20 squad this past year. As per EliteProspects, “The 6-foot-1 forward is at his best as a checker who can deliver heavy hits and apply consistent pressure while linking up plays in transition and facilitating others through smart supporting routes. There are also odd flashes of intriguing playmaking skill and decent makings of a productive delay game off the rush”

The Generals signing Sinivuori almost feels like a must at this point regarding how weakened their forward group is. 

They recently signed import Czech defenseman David Svozil, meaning they still have one more import spot available for the 2024-25 season. 

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