Markus Hännikäinen

Markus Mikael Hännikäinen (born 26 March 1993) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player. Hännikäinen is currently under contract with Adler Mannheim in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).

Markus Hännikäinen
Hännikäinen with the Adler Mannheim in 2022
Born (1993-03-26) 26 March 1993
Helsinki, Finland
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Left wing
Shoots Left
DEL team
Former teams		 Adler Mannheim
HPK
JYP Jyväskylä
Columbus Blue Jackets
Jokerit
Linköping HC
National team  Finland
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2011–present

Playing career

Hännikäinen recorded a break-out season with 19 goals and 27 assists for 46 points with 51 penalty minutes and a +22 plus/minus rating in 60 games with JYP Jyväskylä in the 2014–15 season. After Hännikäinen's Liiga team, JYP Jyväskylä was eliminated from the playoffs by Oulun Kärpät it was announced on 20 April 2015 that Hännikäinen had signed a two-year entry level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.[1]

On 21 January 2017, during an afternoon game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Hännikäinen scored his first NHL goal.[2] He recorded his first NHL assist on February 25, 2017, against the New York Islanders.[2] On 21 March 2017, he signed a two-year contract extension through to 2019 with the Blue Jackets.[2]

In his first full season with the Blue Jackets in 2018–19, Hännikäinen recorded four goals and three assists for seven points with two penalty minutes in 44 games with the Blue Jackets, setting single-season career highs in goals, points and games played.

On 18 June 2019, Hännikäinen as an impending restricted free agent agree to a one-year contract extension with the Blue Jackets.[3] Approaching his fifth year within the Blue Jackets organization in the 2019–20 season, Hännikäinen was unable to retain his roster spot and was familiarly assigned to the Cleveland Monsters. Having made 28 appearances with the Monsters, on 24 February 2020, Hännikäinen was traded by Blue Jackets to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2020.[4] He was assigned to AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, adding 3 goals in 7 appearances before the season was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a free agent from the Coyotes, and with the following season to be affected by the ongoing pandemic, Hännikäinen opted to remain in his native Finland by returning to original club, Jokerit of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), on 16 December 2020.[5]

During the 2021–22 season, Hännikäinen posted 16 points through 44 regular season games before Jokerit withdrew from the KHL due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a free agent from Jokerit, Hännikäinen completed the season with Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.[6]

On 28 May 2022, Hännikäinen opted to sign a one-year contract with Swedish club, Linköping HC of the SHL, for the 2022–23 season.[7] In 46 regular season games, Hännikäinen added 8 goals and 11 assists for 19 points. Unable to help propel Linköping to the post-season, Hännikäinen left the club as a free agent on 15 March 2023.[8]

Hännikäinen returned to former club, Adler Mannheim of the DEL, after signing a one-year contract for the 2023–24 season on 10 August 2023.[9]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
2011–12 Jokerit SM-l 150004 —————
2011–12 Kiekko-Vantaa Mestis 102024 —————
2012–13 Jokerit SM-l 200114 10000
2012–13 Kiekko-Vantaa Mestis 213694 —————
2013–14 Jokerit Liiga 183364 21010
2013–14 Kiekko-Vantaa Mestis 152572 —————
2013–14 HPK Liiga 40004 —————
2014–15 JYP Liiga 6019274651 124596
2015–16 Lake Erie Monsters AHL 507132020 1637102
2015–16 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 40000 —————
2016–17 Cleveland Monsters AHL 5719183722 —————
2016–17 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 101126 —————
2017–18 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 333366 —————
2017–18 Cleveland Monsters AHL 80330 —————
2018–19 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 444372 10000
2019–20 Cleveland Monsters AHL 28711186 —————
2019–20 Tucson Roadrunners AHL 73140 —————
2020–21 Jokerit KHL 215388 40000
2021–22 Jokerit KHL 445111613 —————
2021–22 Adler Mannheim DEL 142354 91342
2022–23 Linköping HC SHL 468111910 —————
Liiga totals 11722315367 1555106
NHL totals 91871514 10000
KHL totals 6510142421 40000

International
Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2011 Finland U18 5th 6 1 0 1 0
2012 Finland WJC 4th 7 0 1 1 0
2013 Finland WJC 7th 6 0 0 0 8
2017 Finland WC 4th 10 2 1 3 2
Junior totals 19 1 1 2 8
Senior totals 10 2 1 3 2

Awards and honours
Awards Year
AHL
Calder Cup (Lake Erie Monsters) 2016 [10]

References
  1. "Blue Jackets sign forward Markus Hannikainen". Columbus Blue Jackets. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  2. "Jackets sign three to two-year contract extensions". NHL.com. Columbus Blue Jackets. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  3. "Blue Jackets sign Hannaikainen to one-year extension". Columbus Blue Jackets. 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  4. "Coyotes Acquire Markus Hannikainen from Columbus". Arizona Coyotes. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  5. "Markus Hannikainen returns home" (in Finnish). Jokerit. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  6. "Adler strengthen with Finns" (in German). Adler Mannheim. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  7. "Experienced Finnish forward has signed for the LHC" (in Swedish). Linköping HC. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  8. "No continuation for Markus Hännikäinen" (in Swedish). Linköping HC. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  9. "Hannikainen returns to Mannheim" (in German). Adler Mannheim. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  10. Brown, Tony (12 June 2016). "Bjorkstrand's OT goal clinches Monsters' first-ever Calder Cup championship". Columbus Blue Jackets. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
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