Eetu Luostarinen

Eetu Luostarinen (born 2 September 1998) is a Finnish professional ice hockey center for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the second round, 42nd overall, by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2017 NHL entry draft. Luostarinen won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Panthers in 2024 and 2025.

Playing career

Luostarinen began playing for KalPa after previously spending time in their junior teams, making his professional debut in the 2016–17 Liiga season. During his rookie season, on 4 January 2017, Luostarinen was signed to a three-year extension to remain with KalPa through 2020.

In the 2018–19 season, Luostarinen ranked tied for first in goals with 15 and finished second for KalPa with 36 points in 54 regular season games.

On 30 May 2019, Luostarinen left KalPa using his NHL out-clause to sign a three-year, entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.

In the 2019–20 season, Luostarinen began his first North American season with the Hurricanes AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. Showing early offensive potential with 7 points in 10 games, Luostarinen received his first recall to Carolina on 7 November 2019. He made his NHL debut with the Hurricanes that day in a 4–2 defeat to the New York Rangers at the PNC Arena. He registered his first point, an assist, in his third game during a 8–2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on 11 November 2019. After 8 games with the Hurricanes, Luostarinen was returned to continue his season with the Checkers.

On 24 February, at the NHL trade deadline, Luostarinen was traded by the Hurricanes along with Erik Haula, Lucas Wallmark and Chase Priskie to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Vincent Trocheck on 24 February 2020. He was immediately re-assigned to AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.

On 18 August 2020, Luostarinen agreed to return to former Liiga club KalPa on loan until the commencement of the delayed 2020–21 North American season.

On 17 January 2021, Luostarinen scored his first NHL goal, as well as his first multi-point game against Collin Delia of the Chicago Blackhawks, which broke a 2-2 tie and proved to be the game winner. In his first season with the Panthers, he recorded 3 goals and 5 assists in 44 games, and did not play during the Panthers first round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

During the 2021-22 season, Luostarinen scored his first career overtime goal against Washington Capitals goaltender Vitek Veněček. In the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, he played all 10 games for the panthers scoring 1 goal and 1 assist. On 8 July 2022, Luostarinen signed a two-year, $3 million contract with the Panthers.

In the 2022–23 season, Luostarinen had a career high 17 goals and 26 assists for 43 points, playing all 82 games and added 2 goals and 3 assists in 16 playoff games, with a multi-point playoff game against the Boston Bruins. He would miss the Stanley Cup Final with a broken tibia, suffered during game 4 of the conference final against Carolina. On 25 July 2023, Luostarinen signed a three-year, $9 million contract extension to stay with the Panthers.

On 30 December 2023, Luostarinen recorded his first career multi-goal game against the Montreal Canadiens. Scoring 12 goals and 15 assists in 82 games, he added another 2 goals and 6 assists in 24 playoff games en route to his, and the Panthers, first Stanley Cup on 24 June 2024.

In 2024–25, Luostarinen scored 9 goals and 15 assists in 80 games. After the trade deadline, with the Panthers acquisition of Brad Marchand, would end up on a line with Marchand and Anton Lundell. Throughout the playoffs, this line continued to produce, in which Luostarinen recorded a 4 point game in the series clincher vs the Lightning. On 17 June 2025, he won the Stanley Cup for the second time, assisting on the series winning goal.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honours

References

External links

*

1998 births
Living people
Carolina Hurricanes draft picks
Carolina Hurricanes players
Charlotte Checkers (2010–) players
Finnish ice hockey centres
Florida Panthers players
KalPa players
People from Siilinjärvi
Springfield Thunderbirds players
Stanley Cup champions
21st-century Finnish sportsmen
4 Nations Face-Off players

{{Finland-icehockey-centre-stub