Ottawa Senators rookie goalie Leevi Merilainen will start against the Florida Panthers Thursday, according to Sportsnet’s Wayne Scanlan.
.acf-block-preview .instagram-twitter-container
width: 340px;
margin: 0 auto;
Merilainen, 20, had just one AHL game worth of North American pro hockey experience before his 34-save performance in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Hurricanes.
The Finnish netminder finished his season with Kärpät in Finland’s top tier Liiga before joining Ottawa’s AHL affiliate Belleville. He posted a 41-save shutout against the Toronto Marlies in his sole game before being called up to Ottawa when Mads Søgaard contracted an illness on April 1.
The Senators drafted him 71st overall in the 2020 NHL Draft.
.acf-block-preview .br-related-links-wrapper
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr);
gap: 20px;
.acf-block-preview .br-related-links-wrapper a
pointer-events: none;
cursor: default;
text-decoration: none;
color: black;
