Erik Haula

Did You Know?

• Haula attended the Swedish-speaking Björneborgs svenska samskola in his youth.
• His father, Tomi, is an agent who represents ice hockey players.

Playing career

Erik Haula began playing ice hockey at his local club HC Ässät Pori. In the 2006–07 season he recorded 43 points in 29 games for Ässät U18, and the following season he scored 22 points in 40 games with the Ässät U20 team in the U20 SM-sarja, which lost the finals to KalPa. Haula did not appear in Ässät's SM-liiga lineup. He spent the 2008–09 season at Shattuck-Saint Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota, tallying 24 goals and 55 assists for 79 points in 49 games.

In March 2009 he committed to the University of Minnesota, becoming only the second player born outside North America to play for the Gophers, after future Wild teammate Thomas Vanek of Austria. Three months later, on 27 June 2009, the Minnesota Wild drafted Haula in the seventh round, 182nd overall. Before attending university, Haula played the 2009–10 season in the USHL with the Omaha Lancers while attending Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School.

His 28 goals and 44 assists with a plus-minus of +36 helped the Lancers reach the Western Division finals, and he was named to the USHL All-Star and All-Rookie teams. Over three college seasons with the Gophers, Haula totaled 42 goals, 82 assists and 124 points in 114 games, then forwent his senior year to sign professionally with the Wild. On 7 April 2013 the Wild signed him to an entry-level contract. He was recalled from the Iowa Wild of the AHL on 29 November 2013, making his NHL debut and recording his first NHL point, an assist, in a 3–1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche; he was named the game's third star.

Reassigned to Iowa on 9 December, he scored his first NHL goal on 18 January 2014 against the Dallas Stars. In the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs he scored four goals and three assists in 13 games. After the 2014–15 season Haula became a restricted free agent; the Wild made a qualifying offer, and on 27 July 2015 he filed for Salary Arbitration.