Markus Hännikäinen Explained

Team:Adler Mannheim
Former Teams:HPK
JYP Jyväskylä
Columbus Blue Jackets
Jokerit
Linköping HC
League:DEL
Position:Left wing
Birth Date:1993 3, df=yes
Birth Place:Helsinki, Finland
Height Ft:6
Height In:1
Weight Lb:200
Shoots:Left
Draft:Undrafted
Ntl Team:FIN
Career Start:2011

Markus Mikael Hännikäinen (born 26 March 1993) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player. Hännikäinen is currently under contract with Adler Mannheim in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).

Playing career

Hännikäinen recorded a break-out season with 19 goals and 27 assists for 46 points with 51 penalty minutes and a +22 plus/minus rating in 60 games with JYP Jyväskylä in the 2014–15 season. After Hännikäinen's Liiga team, JYP Jyväskylä was eliminated from the playoffs by Oulun Kärpät it was announced on 20 April 2015 that Hännikäinen had signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.[1]

On 21 January 2017, during an afternoon game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Hännikäinen scored his first NHL goal.[2] He recorded his first NHL assist on February 25, 2017, against the New York Islanders.[2] On 21 March 2017, he signed a two-year contract extension through to 2019 with the Blue Jackets.[2]

In his first full season with the Blue Jackets in 2018–19, Hännikäinen recorded four goals and three assists for seven points with two penalty minutes in 44 games with the Blue Jackets, setting single-season career highs in goals, points and games played.

On 18 June 2019, Hännikäinen as an impending restricted free agent agree to a one-year contract extension with the Blue Jackets.[3] Approaching his fifth year within the Blue Jackets organization in the 2019–20 season, Hännikäinen was unable to retain his roster spot and was familiarly assigned to the Cleveland Monsters. Having made 28 appearances with the Monsters, on 24 February 2020, Hännikäinen was traded by Blue Jackets to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2020.[4] He was assigned to AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, adding 3 goals in 7 appearances before the season was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a free agent from the Coyotes, and with the following season to be affected by the ongoing pandemic, Hännikäinen opted to remain in his native Finland by returning to original club, Jokerit of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), on 16 December 2020.[5]

During the 2021–22 season, Hännikäinen posted 16 points through 44 regular season games before Jokerit withdrew from the KHL due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a free agent from Jokerit, Hännikäinen completed the season with Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.[6]

On 28 May 2022, Hännikäinen opted to sign a one-year contract with Swedish club, Linköping HC of the SHL, for the 2022–23 season.[7] In 46 regular season games, Hännikäinen added 8 goals and 11 assists for 19 points. Unable to help propel Linköping to the post-season, Hännikäinen left the club as a free agent on 15 March 2023.[8]

Hännikäinen returned to former club, Adler Mannheim of the DEL, after signing a one-year contract for the 2023–24 season on 10 August 2023.[9]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

  Regular season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP PIMGP G A Pts PIM
2011–12JokeritSM-l15 0 004
2011–12Kiekko-VantaaMestis10 2 0 2 4
2012–13JokeritSM-l20 0 1 1 41 0 0 0 0
2012–13Kiekko-VantaaMestis21 3 6 9 4
2013–14JokeritLiiga18 3 3 6 42 1 0 1 0
2013–14Kiekko-VantaaMestis15 2 5 7 2
2013–14HPKLiiga4 0 0 0 4
2014–15JYPLiiga60 19 27 46 5112 4 5 9 6
2015–16Lake Erie MonstersAHL50 7 13 20 2016 3 7 10 2
2015–16Columbus Blue JacketsNHL4 0 0 0 0
2016–17Cleveland MonstersAHL57 19 18 37 22
2016–17Columbus Blue JacketsNHL10 1 1 2 6
2017–18Columbus Blue JacketsNHL33 3 3 6 6
2017–18Cleveland MonstersAHL8 0 3 3 0
2018–19Columbus Blue JacketsNHL44 4 3 7 21 0 0 0 0
2019–20Cleveland MonstersAHL28 7 11 18 6
2019–20Tucson RoadrunnersAHL7 3 1 4 0
2020–21JokeritKHL21 5 3 8 84 0 0 0 0
2021–22JokeritKHL44 5 11 16 13
2021–22Adler MannheimDEL14 2 3 5 49 1 3 4 2
2022–23Linköping HCSHL46 8 11 19 10
2023–24Adler MannheimDEL51 7 15 22 162 0 1 1 2
Liiga totals117 22 31 53 6715 5 5 10 6
NHL totals91 8 7 15 141 0 0 0 0
KHL totals65 10 14 24 214 0 0 0 0

International

YearTeamEventResult GPGAPtsPIM
2011FinlandU185th61010
2012FinlandWJC4th70110
2013FinlandWJC7th60008
2017FinlandWC4th102132
Junior totals191128
Senior totals102132

Awards and honours

AwardsYear
AHL
Calder Cup (Lake Erie Monsters)2016[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Blue Jackets sign forward Markus Hannikainen . . 2015-04-20 . 2015-04-20.
  2. Web site: Jackets sign three to two-year contract extensions. NHL.com. . 17 December 2017. 21 March 2017.
  3. Web site: Blue Jackets sign Hannaikainen to one-year extension . . 18 June 2019 . 18 June 2019.
  4. Web site: Coyotes Acquire Markus Hannikainen from Columbus. . 24 February 2020 . 24 February 2020.
  5. Web site: Markus Hannikainen returns home . . 16 December 2020 . 16 December 2020 . Finnish.
  6. Web site: Adler strengthen with Finns . . 28 February 2022 . 28 February 2022 . German.
  7. Web site: Experienced Finnish forward has signed for the LHC . . 28 May 2022 . 28 May 2022 . Swedish .
  8. Web site: No continuation for Markus Hännikäinen . . 15 March 2023 . 15 March 2023 . Swedish.
  9. Web site: Hannikainen returns to Mannheim . . 10 August 2023 . 10 August 2023 . German .
  10. Web site: Bjorkstrand's OT goal clinches Monsters' first-ever Calder Cup championship . . Tony . Brown . 12 June 2016 . 12 June 2016.