The 2024 NHL Draft wrapped up Saturday (June 29) at Sphere in Las Vegas, where the Edmonton Oilers made several more selections after drafting Sam O’Reilly 32nd overall in the first round on Friday (June 28).
With their second-round pick, 64th overall, the Oilers chose Finnish goaltender Eemil Vinni, who spent 2023-24 with JoKP on loan from HIFK.
Related: Eemil Vinni – 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
Playing in Mestis, the second-highest men’s hockey league in his native country, Vinni posted a 17-9-10 record with a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.72 and a save percentage (SV%) of .892 in 37 regular season appearances.
He’ll turn 19 in December, stands 6-foot-3, weighs 187 pounds and catches left. Here are five other things about the newest netminder in Edmonton’s prospect pool.
He’s the Top-Ranked International Goalie
When NHL Central Scouting Central revealed its final rankings for the 2024 NHL Draft on April 16, Vinni had shot to the top of the list for international goalies. He had previously been ranked No. 2, behind fellow Finn Kim Saarinen, in the mid-term rankings released on Jan. 12.
David Phillips of FC Hockey wrote: “Vinni is a very complete goaltending prospect. He’s decently sized with above-average athleticism, and his standout trait is his technical understanding of the game. His precise and powerful footwork and smart movement decisions makes him my No. 1 goalie for this year’s class.”
Vinni wound up being the fifth goaltender selected in the 2024 Draft, and third among international goalies, after Russians Ilya Nabokov (chosen at No. 38 by the Colorado Avalanche) and Mikhail Yegorov (No. 49 by the New Jersey Devils).
He’s Got a Wealth of International Experience
Vinni has already been part of Finland’s roster at four major international competitions, including the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
He went to the IIHF U18 World Championship in 2022 and 2023, coming home with a bronze medal from the first of his two U18 experiences.
Vinni also played for Finland at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, held less than 100 miles from Edmonton in Red Deer, Alberta. He appeared in four games and posted a 3-1 record with a 1.75 GAA and .972 SV% to help Finland capture bronze at the annual under-18 tournament.
He’s The Youngest U20 Player in HIFK History
On Oct. 17, 2020, Vinni patrolled the crease for HIFK against KalPa in the U20 SM-sarja, the premier men’s junior ice hockey league in Finland.
Vinni was just 14 years, nine months, and 29 days old at the time, making him the youngest player ever to appear in a regular-season game for HIFK’s U20 squad. He was up to the task, stopping 21 shots in an 8-1 victory for HIFK.
Vinni spent the majority of the 2020-21 season with HIFK’s U18 team before becoming a regular U20 in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
He’s One of Edmonton’s Highest-Drafted Goalies
Being taken with the 64th overall pick puts Vinni among pretty exclusive company in Edmonton’s NHL history, which dates back 45 years.
He’s the second-highest drafted international goalie ever by the Oilers, behind only Samu Perhonen, who Edmonton selected at No. 62 in 2011. Peronen, also Finnish, never made it to the NHL.
Vinn is also just the ninth goalie in franchise history selected in the first two rounds of the NHL Draft. The last goaltender drafted by Edmonton in either Round 1 or 2 was Olivier Rodrique, picked at No. 62 in 2018. Rodrigue spent 2023-24 with the Bakersfield Condors, Edmonton’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.
He’s Not Afraid to Throw Down
Vinni briefly went viral in March after he fought with 31-year-old Jokerit netminder Ville Kolppanen in a Mestis regular season game between their teams.
With skaters from both sides gathered around to watch, Vinni took a couple of swings. At the same time, Kolppanen pretty much stayed on the defensive before the two goaltenders locked each other up, and officials eventually stepped in.
Kolppanen later said it was a show. The veteran gestured across the ice towards his teenage counterpart, who happily accepted the fight invitation. When the scrap was finished, the two combatants patted each other on the shoulder in appreciation. Both got tossed from the game for their efforts, which still had more than a period remaining.
With the draft now complete, Edmonton turns its attention to free agency, which opens on Monday (July 1). Don’t be surprised to see another goaltender in the Oilers’ headlines over the next day as rumors swirl about Jack Campbell’s future.
