Aleksi Heponiemi

**Aleksi Heponiemi** (born on January 9, 1999 in Tampere, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Florida Panthers of the NHL.

Aleksi was selected in the second round (40th overall) in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Panthers.

## Playing Career

After being selected 10th overall by the Swift Current Broncos in the 2016 CHL Import Draft, Aleksi began his junior career for the Broncos in the 2016–17 WHL season.

Early in the season, he began to rise in draft rankings and became an offensive leader for the Broncos. He adjusted quickly to the playing style of the WHL and was named WHL Rookie of the Year, producing the most points and assists out of any rookie in the season with 86.

Despite his statistics, Aleksi's final scout ranking for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft was 26 by the NHL Central Scouting. Scouts mainly praised him for his efficient point producing, his creativeness, and his speed.

He was selected in the second round, 40th overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers. Due to his point-producing skill in his rookie season in the WHL, some people think that he was a steal because of how late he was selected in the second round by the Panthers.

Aleksi had a career year during the 2017–18 season, where he accumulated 118 points in 57 regular season games. For his efforts, at the conclusion of the regular season he was named the Pattison Agriculture King of the Road, the Second Star of the season and the Eastern Conference Most Sportsmanlike Player.

Following the conclusion of the season, Aleksi turned professional and signed with Oulun Kärpät of the Liiga. In the 2018–19 season during his rookie year, appeared in 50 games for Kärpät producing 16 goals and 46 points. He led all Liiga rookies in points, while finishing second on Kärpät in points and tying for first on the club in assists. In the playoffs, Heponiemi tallied three goals in 17 games.

On 16 May 2019, he was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Florida Panthers. With the 2020–21 North American season delayed until November due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was loaned by the Panthers to Swedish second-tier club, Modo Hockey of the Allsvenskan, on 9 August 2020.

Aleksi made his NHL debut on 30 January 2021, scoring an overtime goal in the Panthers' 3–2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. He became the fourth player in NHL history to score an overtime goal in his NHL debut.

## International Play

Aleksi played in the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, a tournament not regulated by the International Ice Hockey Federation but still considered an important tournament for under-18 players. He played 4 games for Finland in the tournament, recording 5 assists as Finland finished in 3rd place.

He also participated and was named to Team Finland in the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships where Finland finished 6th and he scored 2 goals in 5 games with the team.

## Personal Life

Aleksi began playing hockey when he was four years old, and has two older brothers, Valtteri and Ville. He and his brother Ville both played for the Ilves youth junior team. In the 2015–16 season, both brothers won the championship together.

His brother, Valtteri current plays for the Pirkkala Penguins, a third division team in Pirkkala, Finland along with Ville who also plays for the Penguins (along with Valtteri).