Olli Juolevi

Lore & Background

Juolevi developed in the Jokerit program in Finland, playing for their U16 team at age 14 and later for their U20 team in the Jr. A SM-liiga. After scoring 32 points in 44 games, he was named to the league's First All-Star Team and awarded Rookie of the Year. He moved to North America in 2015 to play major junior hockey with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he recorded 42 points in 57 games as a rookie defenceman and helped the Knights win the J. Ross Robertson Cup and the Memorial Cup. He was named to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team.

After being drafted by the Canucks, Juolevi signed a three-year entry-level contract in August 2016. He began his professional career with Vancouver's AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, in 2018–19 but was sidelined by knee surgery after 13 points in 18 games. The following season he again started in Utica, scoring 25 points in 45 games before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He made his NHL debut during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, playing 6:16 in the qualifying round against the Minnesota Wild. In the 2020–21 season he earned a roster spot out of training camp and scored his first NHL goal on 25 January 2021.

Juolevi was traded to the Florida Panthers in October 2021, then claimed off waivers by the Detroit Red Wings in March 2022. He signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Anaheim Ducks in July 2022 but played exclusively with their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. In October 2023 he left North America, signing a one-month contract with Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League, then returned to Finland in November 2023 with Tappara, where he contributed 6 points in 16 playoff games to help the team win the Finnish championship.

Reader's Guide

Olli Juolevi's career illustrates the trajectory of a highly touted draft pick whose path to the NHL was disrupted by injuries and organizational changes. Selected fifth overall in 2016 as the first defenceman off the board, he was expected to become a cornerstone of the Canucks' blue line. However, knee surgery in his first AHL season and another injury in 2019 limited his development. He made his NHL debut in the 2020 playoffs and scored his first goal the following season, but was traded to Florida in 2021 after only 23 games with Vancouver. His tenure with the Panthers was brief, and he was claimed by Detroit before signing with Anaheim, where he never played an NHL game. After returning to Europe, he found success with Tappara, winning a Finnish Liiga championship in 2024. Juolevi's legacy is that of a promising junior star—OHL champion, Memorial Cup winner, and World Junior gold medalist—whose NHL career never matched the expectations set by his draft position, but who ultimately carved out a professional career abroad.

Did You Know?

• Juolevi was the first defenceman selected in the 2016 NHL entry draft, going fifth overall to Vancouver.
• He won a gold medal with Finland at the 2016 World Junior Championships and was named to the tournament All-Star team.
• Juolevi scored his first NHL goal on 25 January 2021 in a 7–1 win over the Ottawa Senators.
• He won the Finnish Liiga championship with Tappara in 2024, contributing 6 points in 16 playoff games.