Emma Nuutinen is coming to the PWHL, and it won't be through the draft. Already a PWHL free agent, the Finnish Olympian could be a veteran steal and impactful player for PWHL teams looking to build back following another round of expansion.
The June 17 PWHL Draft will be an exciting moment for the league. But it won't be the only opportunity for teams to add outside talent heading into 2026-27, and one of the top names to watch is Finland's Emma Nuutinen.
Nuutinen intends to sign with a PWHL team for the coming season, returning to North America after spending the past three seasons in Finland's Auroraliiga.
The 5-foot-10 forward is the back-to-back Auroraliiga leading scorer recording 54 goals and 128 points in her last 58 games.
Nuutinen, 29, has North American experience spending four seasons in the NCAA with North Dakota and Meryhurst.
Only six games into her post collegiate career however, Nuutinen suffered a serious injury in 2020-21 that held her to only six games that season, and kept her from the sport for all of 2021-2022.
The following season, Nuutinen return to the game and North America playing for the PHF's Buffalo Beauts where she recorded 10 points in 24 games. When the PHF was acquired to form the PWHL, Nuutinen returned to Finland.
Now, however, she's coming back to North America, and looked strong this season in Finland's lead up to the Olympic Games, earning a roster spot in Milan. Nuutinen has a World Championship silver medal and two bronze medals, and an Olympic bronze medal to her name representing Finland at three Olympics and three World Championships to date.
Nuutinen would join a rapidly expanding group of Finnish players in the PWHL including Ronja Savolainen (Ottawa), Sanni Ahola (Ottawa), Michelle Karvinen (Vancouver), Sini Karjalainen (Vancouver), and Susanna Tapani (Boston).
Also expected to join the PWHL next season from Finland are Petra Nieminen, Viivi Vainikka, Elisa Holopainen, and Nelli Laitinen who all declared for the PWHL Draft. As did Krista Parkonnen who has also represented Finland internationally.