A former Blue Jackets forward and Lake Erie Monsters Calder Cup Champion has joined Pavel Čajan in Czechia.
Markus Hännikäinen, who helped the Lake Erie Monsters win the 2016 Calder Cup, has signed on to play for HC Litvínov of the Czech Extraliga, the highest league in Czechia. Just last week, Pavel Čajan signed with HC Litvínov as well.
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Hännikäinen, from Finland, has played in Russia, Germany, Sweden, the United States, and now Czechia.
"We have been following Markus for at least two seasons. Within the possibilities on the market, we chose him for his character, toughness in fights, resilience, and team approach. We believe that he will provide our team with the necessary energy in these areas and move it forward," says Tomáš Vrábel in a HC Litvínov press release.
General Manager Pavel Hynek says, "We are bringing in a player who has played almost a hundred games in the NHL and has experience from strong European competitions. Markus is a complex forward who has a clearly defined style and at the same time brings a professional approach and work ethic to the team."
Hännikäinen played 91 games for the Blue Jackets from 2015 to 2019, scoring 8 goals and totaling 15 points.
While playing for the Monsters, he played 143 games, scored 33 goals and totaled 78 points. He also played in 16 games during the Monsters' Calder Cup run. he scored 3 goals and had 10 points. He was a big reason why the Monsters won the AHL title.
After being traded to the Arizona Coyotes in February of 2020, he finished that season, and then left for Europe where he's been ever since.
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