Canucks Sign Olli Juolevi to ELC

The Vancouver Canucks announced Friday that they have signed 2016 1st round draft pick (5th overall) Olli Juolevi to a three-year, entry-level contract. Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the team.

“Olli is a talented all-around defenseman with high hockey sense who will be a big part of our organization’s future,” said general manager Jim Benning. “He’s had an outstanding year, winning the Memorial Cup and World Junior gold. We look forward to seeing him continue his development and compete at the NHL level during training camp in September.”

#Canucks sign @OlliJuolevi to entry level contract.

Release – https://t.co/2d5y7ow10Q pic.twitter.com/kXPBVsj0BS

— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) August 5, 2016

Juolevi came to North America to play last season, spending the year with the London Knights of the OHL, where he put up nine goals and 42 points in 57 games. That was enough to get Juolevi on the All-Rookie Team and Third All-Star Team in his 17-year-old season.

The season ended with Juolevi scoring three goals and 14 points in 18 games to help the Knights to an OHL championship. After that he put up seven assists in four games to help the Knights win their second Memorial Cup.

That Memorial Cup win came at the end of a season that was littered with success. He was also a part of the gold medal-winning Finnish national team at the 2016 World Junior Championship in Helsinki. There, he put up nine assists in seven games and was named to the tournament’s All-Star Team.