Juuso Välimäki is back on an NHL roster again, and the wait has been a long one.
After 632 days away from dressing for a regular-season game, the Carolina Hurricanes defenseman is set to make his season debut Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks. The announcement came after the morning skate on Tuesday, Oct. 20, ending a stretch that has tested him through injury, recovery, a trade, and a long climb back to the NHL.
The last NHL game Välimäki played came in the 2024-25 season with the Utah Mammoth, when he appeared in 43 games and recorded five points. That run was interrupted in March 2025 by an ACL injury that required surgery and kept him out for eight to nine months.
His path back included a trade to Carolina on Jan. 5 for future considerations, followed by a stint with the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League. There, he became an important piece for head coach Spiros Anastas as the Wolves rolled to the Western Conference championship and reached the Calder Cup Final. Välimäki produced 20 points in 24 regular-season games, then added 14 points in 21 Calder Cup Playoff games.
Carolina signed him to a one-year, $900,000 deal on June 24, 2026, keeping him in the fold for the 2026-27 season. He impressed in training camp and the preseason before being sent back to the Wolves. Then, on Oct. 5, he was recalled and has served as the seventh defenseman since.
Now, 15 days later, he’s getting the call he’s been waiting on.
“It’s been a long road… I’m just excited, happy to get in, and will try to do everything I can to help us get a win.”
Välimäki is projected to skate with Shayne Gostisbehere on the third defensive pair, and he’ll do it on his off side as a left-handed defenseman. He’s handled that role before. He’s also already shown enough in preseason and training camp to earn another look.
The Hurricanes are looking to bounce back after their loss on Sunday, and Välimäki has a chance to step right into that effort. For a player who has waited more than 600 days for this moment, just getting back into the lineup carries its own weight. He’s expected to be one of the names to watch Tuesday night as Carolina goes for its eighth win of the season in Vancouver.
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