Forward was selected 51st overall by Carolina in the 2021 NHL Draft
RALEIGH, N.C. – Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed forward Ville Koivunen to a three-year, entry-level contract. At the NHL level, the deal will pay Koivunen $750,000 in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and $775,000 in 2023-24. The deal will pay Koivunen $80,000 at the American Hockey League (AHL) level for all three seasons, and he will receive a signing bonus of $277,500.
“Ville is a skilled, competitive winger,” said Waddell. “He continues to improve every year, and we are excited to watch him develop as a pro.”
Koivunen, 18, recorded 49 points (23g, 26a) in 38 games with Karpat’s junior team in Finland’s top junior league last season while serving as one of the team’s alternate captains. The 6’0”, 168-pound forward was named the league’s Rookie of the Year and selected to the Second All-Star Team after ranking third in the league in goals and points. Koivunen also added four assists in five playoff games, leading the team in that category and ranking tied for first on the team in points during the playoffs. In 2019-20, he was named the Best Forward and Best Player of Finland’s under-18 league after posting a league-high 27 goals and 71 points in 37 games with Karpat’s under-18 team. The Oulu, Finland, native has represented his home country at numerous international tournaments, including the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challege and the 2021 IIHF Under-18 World Championship. Koivunen was selected by the Hurricanes in the second round, 51st overall, of the 2021 NHL Draft.
