No matter how successful Vili Saarijarvi becomes as a hockey player, he’ll never be the most famous celebrity from his hometown.
Selected 73rd overall by the Detroit Red Wings in Saturday’s NHL entry draft, Saarijarvi hails from Rovaniemi, which is the capital city of the northern Finnish region of Lapland and is also listed as the hometown of Santa Claus.
Regardless, going to the Red Wings felt like Christmas in (almost) July for Saarijarvi, a 5-9, 163-pound defenseman.
“It’s unbelievable,… Saarijarvi said. “Obviously I’m very happy now and I don’t know what to say
“It’s just an unbelievable feeling and I’m very happy.…
Like Evgeni Svechnikov, Detroit’s top pick in the draft who played in the QMJHL with Cape Breton last season, Saarijarvi opted to make the move to North America for his draft year, skating with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL.
“It was just to learn North American hockey,… Saarijarvi said. “That was probably the biggest thing, and to work on my defensive game so I could get better on defense.…
The right-hand shooting Saarijarvi, who collected 3-6-9 totals in seven games for Finland in the world under-18 championship, only made the switch to defense from forward four years ago.
“That’s probably why I’m so offensive minded,… Saarijarvi said. “I’m an offensive defenseman, I like to skate the puck, feed the forwards, like to play power play. Those are most of my strengths.…
Saarijarvi has signed a contract to play for Karpat Oulu in the Finnish League next season, but made it clear where he ultimately wants hockey to take him.
“I want to play in the NHL,… he said.
Capsule looks at Detroit’s other Saturday draft choices:
Joren Van Pottelberghe (110th) Swiss goaltender played last season in Sweden with Linkoping under-18. The 6-2, 187-pound netminder also played for Switzerland in the world under-18 championship.
“(Detroit director of European scouting) Hakan (Andersson) was very high on him,… Wings director of amateur scouting Tyler Wright said. “We had him high on our list, too.
“We actually thought about him with the third pick but the Finnish defenseman was too dynamic at that position and the kid fell to the fourth round for us.…
Chase Pearson (140th) Youngstown (USHL) center is Canadian-born with strong NHL bloodlines. His father Scott Pearson played 292 NHL games and was selected sixth overall in the 1988 draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Though his OHL rights belong to the nearby Windsor Spitfires, Pearson intends to play NCAA and has verbally committed to Maine.
“That’s really important,… Pearson said of being the son of an NHLer. “He coached me growing up and is most of the reason I am where I am today. Without him I don’t know what I’d do. He knows what it takes to make it.…
A 6-2, 189-pound power forward, Pearson produced 11-14-25 totals in 55 games last season, but is certain that he can do better.
“I think I can be a two-way forward,… Pearson said. “Offensively, I’d like to produce more than I did last year. But I know that comes with time and more development.
“Eventually I need to put more weight on, which is something I’m focusing on in the off-season.…
Pat Holway (170th) The Wings loaded up on right-hand shooting defenders and Maine Black Bears commits by adding Boston Advantage rearguard Holway, who is also headed to Maine and shoots right like Saarijarvi. But unlike the Finn, Holway is a huge specimen – 6-4 and 200 pounds. He’s raw, but has a significant offensive upside.
He’s also a multi-sport star who captained Chelmsford high school to the Massachusetts state Division III lacrosse title in 2014 and is considered to have NCAA Division I lacrosse potential.
“He’s a big kid that can skate; he’s got good hockey sense,… Wright said. “He’s kind of got the full package, he just hasn’t played at a high level.
“We liked him the whole way around. We would have been devastated if we couldn’t have got him in the seventh so we stepped on him in the sixth.…
Adam Marsh (200th) Detroit drew again on bloodlines for its last pick. A 6-0, 160-pound left-winger from Saint John (QMJHL), Marsh is the son of Peter Marsh, who started in the WHA with the Cincinnati Stingers and later played in the NHL for Winnipeg and Chicago and assisted on the first NHL goal scored in the history of the original Jets in 1979.
The younger Marsh was ready to quit hockey two years ago after a disagreement with his Chicago midget coach, but ended up going to Quebec and finishing third on the Sea Dogs in scoring with 24-20-44 totals in 60 games.
“This was a guy that we thought would be gone,… Wright said. “We actually talked about him in the sixth and we went with the big defenseman with the right shot.
“(Marsh) was there in the seventh so it was a no-brainer for us.…
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