Jani Hakanpää
Jani Hakanpää (born 31 March 1992) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing with the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hakanpää was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 4th round (104th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Playing career. Hakanpää played in his native Finland for the Espoo Blues of the SM-liiga during the 2011–12 and 2012–13 SM-liiga seasons. On 22 May 2012, Hakanpää was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with draft club, the St. Louis Blues. After attending the Blues training camp, Hakanpää was  returned to the Espoo Blues on loan to begin the 2012–13 season. He contributed with 5 points through 34 games on the blueline in Finland before returning to North America to play out the 2012–13 season with AHL affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen. He registered one goal and three assists in fourteen games. At the completion of his entry-level deal with the Blues, Hakanpää opted to return to Finland signing a two-year contract with Liiga club, Oulun Kärpät on 2 July 2015. In the 2017–18 season, Hakanpää helped Oulun Kärpät claim the Kanada-malja as Finnish champions, enjoying a  career season he posted 6 goals and 24 points in 58 games. He continued to show a developing two-way game with 7 points in 16 playoff appearances. Hakanpää led Liiga defensemen in Plus/minus in back-to-back seasons, and ranked tied for second among league defensemen with a career best 11 goals while compiling 23 points in 52 games for league leading Kärpät in the 2018–19 season. He featured in 17 playoff contests, registering 4 points as Oulun Kärpät failed to defend the Championship in the finals against HPK. On 3 July 2019, Hakanpää returned to North America , signing as a free agent to a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Anaheim Ducks. In his first full season in the NHL in the pandemic delayed 2020–21 campaign, Hakanpää recorded 1 assist in 42 regular season games and led the Ducks and placed third in the league in hits before on 12 April 2021, Hakanpää, and a Sixth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Haydn Fleury. On 29 July 2021, Hakanpää signed a three-year, $4.5 million contract with the Dallas Stars.