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CONFIRMED: Jesse Puljujärvi Signs Multi-Year Contract in Switzerland
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- CONFIRMED: Jesse Puljujärvi Signs Multi-Year Contract in Switzerland
Finnish winger Jesse Puljujärvi, 27, has signed atwo-year contract with Genève-Servette, the National Leagueclub announced on Tuesday.
"I'm really excited to be joining Genève-Servette!" JessePuljujärvi is quoted in the club's press release. "I'veheard nothing but good things about the organization and the league,and I'm looking forward to experiencing it all. We have a greatgroup of players, and I'm going to give my all to help the teamsucceed. I'm also looking forward to visiting the city, which looksamazing, and meeting the fans."
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"We are very pleased with the arrival of Jesse, a player we havebeen following for some time now," said club sports manager MarcGautschi. "Thanks to his physique and speed, he can be absolutelydominant on the big Swiss ice rinks. We are convinced that with thehelp of our coaching staff, he will further develop his scoringskills and become an essential offensive leader for our team."
News of Puljujärvi heading to Switzerland began two weeks ago while he was still playing in the Calder Cupfinals for the Charlotte Checkers .
He joins a Genève-Servette team that won its first-ever national championship in Switzerland in 2023-24 and won the Champions Hockey League in 2024-25, but has missed the playoffs the last two National League seasons.
In addition to Puljujärvi, Genève-Servette has under contract for 2025-26 former NHLers Markus Granlund , Josh Jooris , Marc-Antoine Pouliot, Taylor Beck and Tim Berni , whose NHL rights are still retained by the Columbus Blue Jackets .
French Former Habs Prospect Swaps Bitter Rival Teams In Switzerland
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Born in Älvkarleby, Sweden, Puljujärvi grewup in Finland and is a product of the Kärpätclub in northern Finland. It is with that Oulu-basedclub that he first turned pro at age 16 in 2014-15.
Puljujärvi was chosen fourth overall bythe EdmontonOilers in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He has 128 points in 387career NHL regular-season games with the Oilers, CarolinaHurricanes , PittsburghPenguins and FloridaPanthers . He also has six points in 27 playoff games withEdmonton and Carolina.
During his career, Puljujärvi returned to playfor Kärpät in2019-20 and part of 2020-21, as pandemic-related restrictions delayedthe NHL's start to that season.
In June 2023, he underwent double hip surgeryand missed half of the following season .
Jesse Puljujärvi: “It’s been a long process, I’m really happy to be here”
Jesse Puljujärvi: "It's been a long process, I'm really happy to be here" The last couple of seasons have been an ordeal for Jesse Puljujärvi . He split a rather unproductive 2022-23 campaign between the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes , during which he played in constant pain. Then in June 2023, he underwent double hip surgery. He didn't return to the ice until January and, after a half-season split between the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the NHL, he's now playing in his second IIHF World Championship for Finland, and first since 2017.
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When Puljujärvi was waived by Pittsburgh inFebruary of this year to terminate his contract "by mutualagreement" ahead of the international transfer deadline, it waswidely expected that he'd end up in Europe. Switzerland was one ofhis rumored destinations at that time, aswas Kärpät . However, he surprisingly signed with Florida instead.
This past season, Puljujärvi had 10 pointss in31 NHL games, split between Pittsburgh and Florida, and 16 points in26 AHL games, split between Wilkes/Barre-Scranton and Charlotte. Healso had 11 points in 18 playoff games for Charlotte, which includedan overtime goal in Game 5 of the finals against the AbbotsfordCanucks, which kept the Checkers alive for one more game.
Photo © Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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Jesse Puljujärvi: "It's been a long process, I'm really happy to be here"
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