BREAKING: The #leafs have agreed to a one-year deal with Finnish centre Petri Kontiola. Story upcoming on sportsnet.ca.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 3, 2014
Reports out of Finland have the Leafs signing veteran Euro free agent Petri Kontiola. Could be interesting.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) July 3, 2014
Petri Kontiola was originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 7th round (#196 overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
via HockeysFuture.com
History
Kontiola was a small-name junior in the Tappara organization until 2003-04. He gathered a good deal of professional games under his belt and earned a spot in the World Junior Championships, where he led the defense from his position in the center of the third line.
13 points in 39 games with Tappara in 2003-04.
2006-07: Once a late-round afterthought, Kontiola emerged as a prominent scoring threat in Finland, leading his Tappara squad in scoring with 12 goals and 47 points in 51 games. He was a member of Finland’s World Championship silver medal-winning squad, scoring a pair of goals and five assists in nine games.
2007-08: Kontiola continued to show promise, as his first year in North America was a very successful one. Playing most of the season in Rockford, Kontiola was second on the team in scoring, recording 68 points in 66 games. Kontiola’s performance warranted a call-up to Chicago, where he made his NHL debut in November 2007.
Talent Analysis
Kontiola is a dangerous playmaker who utilizes his teammates very well, choosing to make the pass over the shot. He is still rather slight, and could stand to add some more muscle.
Future
He could be a legitimate #2 center in the NHL.