Niclas Almari

Niclas Almari (born 11 May 1998) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing with Lukko of the Liiga. Almari was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the fifth round, 151st overall, in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
==Playing career==
Almari played as a youth in his native Finland, within the junior programs at the Jr. A level of the Espoo Blues, Jokerit and HPK. Almari secured his first rookie playing contract with HPK on 29 April 2016.
After his draft selection to the Penguins, Almari split his first professional season in 2016–17 between HPK and Mestis affiliate, LeKi. He made his professional debut on 17 September 2016, against Kärpät and later scored his first Liiga goal on 5 October 2016 against Jukurit. Almari also spent 10 games with HPK's junior club and helped contribute in winning the Jr. A SM-liiga's title. At the conclusion of the season, Almari accepted an amateur try-out with Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on 11 April 2017. In helping his development, Almari trained with Wilkes-Barre and was a part of their extended squad into the post-season.
In returning to HPK for his third season in 2018–19, Almari continued to show an upward trend in his development, appearing in 42 regular season for 5 points. In the playoffs, Almari appeared in all 18 post-season games for HPK, helping claim the Championship on 4 May 2019.
On 10 May 2019, Almari was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In the final season of his entry-level contract, Almari was assigned to AHL affiliate, Wilkes-Barre before he was later re-assigned on loan by Pittsburgh to close out the 2021–22 season with Lukko of the Liiga.
On 1 June 2022, Almari was signed to a two-year contract extension to remain with Lukko, having left the Penguins organization.
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2014–15 	Espoo Blues 	Jr. A 		26 	4 	4 	8 	16 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2015–16 	Espoo Blues 	Jr. A 		12 	0 	0 	0 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2015–16 	Jokerit 	Jr. A 		27 	2 	5 	7 	10 		2 	0 	1 	1 	4
2016–17 	HPK 	Jr. A 		10 	1 	4 	5 	0 		10 	1 	10 	11 	0
2016–17 	HPK 	Liiga 		24 	3 	2 	5 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	LeKi 	Mestis 		23 	1 	6 	7 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	HPK 	Liiga 		41 	4 	4 	8 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	LeKi 	Mestis 		4 	0 	1 	1 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	Espoo United 	Mestis 		9 	0 	3 	3 	16 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	HPK 	Jr. A 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 		5 	2 	1 	3 	14
2017–18 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		2 	0 	0 	0 	2 		1 	0 	1 	1 	0
2018–19 	HPK 	Jr. A 		2 	0 	1 	1 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	HPK 	Liiga 		42 	1 	4 	5 	6 		18 	0 	0 	0 	2
2019–20 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		51 	1 	6 	7 	18 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2020–21 	Lahti Pelicans 	Liiga 		28 	1 	6 	7 	6 		5 	0 	0 	0 	0
2021–22 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		13 	1 	1 	2 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2021–22 	Wheeling Nailers 	ECHL 		6 	0 	4 	4 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2021–22 	Lukko 	Liiga 		15 	0 	2 	2 	6 		7 	0 	0 	0 	2
Liiga totals	Liiga totals 	Liiga totals		150 	9 	18 	27 	34 		30 	0 	0 	0 	4
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Event 	Result 		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2014 	Finland 	U17 	5th 		6 	0	1	1 	0
Junior totals	Junior totals	Junior totals	Junior totals		6 	0	1	1 	0
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards & honors==
Award 	Year 	
Liiga 	Liiga	Liiga
Champion (HPK)	2019 	
==References==
==External links==
* 
Category:Finnish ice hockey defencemen
Category:HPK players
Category:Lempäälän Kisa players
Category:Lukko players
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins draft picks
Category:Wheeling Nailers players
Category:Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players