| Sami Niku | |||
|---|---|---|---|
_(1).jpg) Niku with theMontreal Canadiens in 2021 | |||
| Born | (1996-10-10)10 October 1996 (age 29) Haapavesi, Finland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 176 lb (80 kg; 12 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NL team Former teams | Lausanne HC JYP Jyväskylä Winnipeg Jets Montreal Canadiens Ilves Tampere EHC Kloten | ||
| NHL draft | 198th overall,2015 Winnipeg Jets | ||
| Playing career | 2013–present | ||
Sami Niku (born 10 October 1996) is aFinnish professionalice hockeydefenceman currently playing withLausanne HC of theNational League (NL). He was selected in the seventh round, 198th overall, by theWinnipeg Jets of theNational Hockey League (NHL) in the2015 NHL Entry Draft.[1]
Niku made hisLiiga debut playing withJYP Jyväskylä during the2014–15 Liiga season.[2]
Following the2016–17 season with JYP, having played his first full season in the Liiga in posting 27 points in 59 games, Niku agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets on May 15, 2017.[3] He played most of the2017–18 season with theManitoba Moose, the Jets'American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. He was called up by the Jets on April 1, 2018, and scored his first goal in his NHL debut in a Jets' win over theMontreal Canadiens on April 3.[4] At conclusion of the2017–18 regular season, Niku was voted as theAHL's top defenseman,[5] as well as earningAHL First All-Star team[6] and theAHL All-Rookie honours.[7]
On 21 September 2021, Niku was bought out of his contract with the Jets. Three days later, he signed a one-year contract with theMontreal Canadiens.[8] A week later, in his first pre-season game with the team, Niku sustained a concussion after being hit from behind byOttawa Senators playerJosh Norris and was ruled out indefinitely.[9]
As a free agent from the Canadiens, Niku opted to return to Finland agreeing to re-join original club, JYP Jyväskylä of the Liiga, on a one-year contract for the2022–23 season on 29 July 2022.[10]
For the 2024-25 season, Niku signed a one-year contract with the Swiss clubEHC Kloten of theNL.
On April 30, 2025, Niku signed a two-year contract with theLausanne HC, remaining in the NL.[11]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing Finland | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| IIHF World U20 Championship | ||
 | 2016 Finland | |
Internationally, Niku played in the2014 IIHF World U18 Championships, the2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, and the2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2011–12 | JYP | FIN U18 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | JYP | FIN U18 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | JYP | FIN U20 | 30 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2013–14 | JYP | FIN U18 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | JYP | FIN U20 | 20 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | JYP–Akatemia | Mestis | 30 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | JYP–Akatemia | Mestis | 39 | 3 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15 | JYP | Liiga | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | JYP | Liiga | 38 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | JYP–Akatemia | Mestis | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | JYP | Liiga | 59 | 5 | 22 | 27 | 26 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | Manitoba Moose | AHL | 76 | 16 | 38 | 54 | 30 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Manitoba Moose | AHL | 20 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 30 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Manitoba Moose | AHL | 18 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 17 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 13 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Laval Rocket | AHL | 36 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 10 | ||
| 2022–23 | JYP | Liiga | 54 | 9 | 33 | 42 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | JYP | Liiga | 37 | 11 | 26 | 37 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Ilves | Liiga | 16 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2024–25 | EHC Kloten | NL | 52 | 5 | 25 | 30 | 32 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| Liiga totals | 216 | 30 | 100 | 130 | 88 | 20 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 | ||||
| NHL totals | 67 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Finland | U17 | 7th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2013 | Finland | IH18 | 5th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2014 | Finland | WJC18 | 6th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015 | Finland | WJC | 7th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | Finland | WJC |  | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| Junior totals | 27 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 14 | ||||
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| AHL | ||
| Eddie Shore Award for Top Defensemen | 2018 | [5] |
| First All-Star team | 2018 | [6] |
| All-Rookie Team | 2018 | [7] |