Future Watch: Henrik Haapala Rookie Hockey Cards, Panthers – Henrik Haapala was signed as a free agent by the Florida Panthers in June of 2017. While a lot of teams were focusing on the draft the Panthers made a smart signing to bolster their immediate roster.
The Finnish winger has played for Tappara Tampere since the 2012-13 season. The season before his signing he had a career-high, 60 points and 15 goals in 51 games played. Then he came over to the United States and played for the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL.
In November of 2017, he made his NHL debut. He played in five games and registered an assist. He also played 20 games in the AHL and had three goals and five assists. When it was clear that Florida wasn’t going to utilize him last season he returned to Finland to play the rest of the season there. He scored seven points in five games in the regular season and had 10 points in 14 games in the playoffs.
You can find a Young Guns rookie card of him in 2017-18 Upper Deck Series 2 hockey. He has other rookies in O-Pee-Chee, Ice and SP Authentic.
Here’s a look at what this talent can do on and off the ice:
He’s won championships in Finland and now he’s ready for the next step. He had to see what North American ice would be like, he made the adjustment, and now he’s ready to show the fans in Florida.
Future Watch: Henrik Haapala Rookie Hockey Cards, Panthers – More Resources
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