Carolina Hurricanes Recall Juuso Valimaki

The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled different defensive depth after reassigning Charles-Alexis Legault yesterday afternoon. According to a team announcement, the Hurricanes recalled defenseman Juuso Välimäki from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.

Välimäki, 27, was selected by the Calgary Flames with the 16th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft. After two additional seasons with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, Välimäki joined the professional ranks for the 2018-19 season.

Unfortunately, Välimäki struggled to find his footing in Alberta. Throughout his tenure with the Flames, he split his time between Calgary and the AHL’s Stockton Heat. Across three seasons, he recorded three goals, 16 points, and a -4 rating over 82 games, averaging 15:29 of ice time per game. The following year, after failing to make the Flames roster out of training camp, the Arizona Coyotes claimed Välimäki off the waiver wire.

Looking back, it was arguably one of the best waiver claims of the season. Välimäki broke out with the Coyotes, finishing first on the team in scoring among defensemen with four goals and 34 points in 78 games with a -10 rating. However, it’s worth mentioning that Välimäki registered 12 of his points on Arizona’s powerplay. Unfortunately, Välimäki never found his footing with the organization again.

He dealt with multiple injuries the following campaign, finishing with two goals and 17 points in 68 games. However, when healthy, Välimäki played much better defensively, raising his on-ice SV% at even strength from 88.3% to 92.5%. Still, the season was considered a disappointment by all accounts.

Välimäki remained with the organization after the Coyotes dissolved and became the Utah Mammoth. He got off to another disappointing start, tallying two goals and five points in his first 43 games with a -5 rating. In a bad twist of luck, Välimäki was sent through waivers and joined the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. In his first AHL contest since the 2021-22 campaign, Välimäki tore his ACL, ending his 2024-25 season.

Eventually, Välimäki returned to the ice, playing in three games with the Tucson Roadrunners last season. In early January, the Mammoth traded him to the Hurricanes for future considerations. He ended last year on a good note, scoring six goals and 20 points in 24 games with a -1 rating for AHL Chicago.