Eeli Tolvanen continues to navigate pacific waters as the newest addition to the NHL’s youngest franchise
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA – A 23-year-old Eeli Tolvanen heads to his locker in at Kraken Community Iceplex, fresh off the January 25th morning skate prior to the team's game against Vancouver. He sits down in his locker, tired from the practice he’s just skated in, and keeping to himself. On a team that he is still fitting in to, in a city that he is still slowly exploring when he gets the time, this fresh start with Seattle has been smooth sailing so far for Tolvanen. Armed with a cannon of a shot and excellent defensive statistics, the Finnish forward continues to prove that he was a diamond-in-the-rough find by Kraken general manager Ron Francis.
Eeli Tolvanen takes part in the Seattle Kraken Super Skills Showcase (Photos by Liv Lyons)
Young career takes a few twists and turns
Tolvanen has had a complicated road to his current destination of the Pacific Northwest. Hailing from Vihti, Finland, Eeli committed to play hockey at Boston College in 2016 after he had been playing for the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL. After the conclusion of that season, Tolvanen was selected in the first round of the 2017 NHL draft by Nashville. A great moment for Eeli took a turn as his college aspirations were dashed after his application was rejected by the Boston College admissions, due to an issue with his high school course credits. From there, Tolvanen signed a deal to play in the KHL (Kontinental hockey league) for a Finnish-Based team.
Things were good for Eeli in the KHL, recording two hat tricks before being named a KHL All-Star in 2018. After that season, things began to become a roller coaster once again for Tolvanen. He signed his entry level contract with Nashville, got sent down to the AHL to begin the 2019-20 season, and even went back to the KHL prior to the resumption of the delayed 2020-21 NHL season. In his sixth year in the Nashville Predators organization, general manager David Poile and the front office decided that they saw enough from Tolvanen and put him on waivers. Seattle snatched him up, and the fresh start has proven to be just what the Finnish forward needed.
Eeli Tolvanen during the December 18th morning skate, practicing prior to getting real game action (Photos by Liv Lyons)
Next stop: Seattle
Those who watched Tolvanen play in Nashville often criticized the Predators for mismanaging him, not putting his high-powered shot in the right position on their power play, and not giving him a consistent position. Things were not working out in Nashville, and while it wasn’t the original plan for Tolvanen to leave (Poile wanted him to clear waivers and go to AHL Milwaukee before calling him back up), it worked out well for the 23-year-old.
“Sometimes, they wanted me to be the checker, then one night, they wanted me to be the goal-scorer”
Eeli Tolvanen during Seattle’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning (Photos by Liv Lyons)
Tolvanen did not get immediate playing time in Seattle, rather skating and practicing before joining the lineup. When an opening appeared in the forward lines, Tolvanen was plugged in and latched onto it like an Octopus. In what could be viewed as the universe having a laugh, Tolvanen scored in his Kraken debut. A one-timer from the right flank on the power play. After his shot rippled through the net and “Lithium” blared throughout Climate Pledge Arena, perhaps a feeling of justification fell over Tolvanen. This is what he’s good at, and Seattle will give him the opportunity to be his best self.
“I was too excited for the first goal. Lost an edge. I just kind of blacked out for a second”
Eeli Tolvanen celebrates with his teammates after scoring his first goal as a Kraken (Photo by Liv Lyons)
He’s not just a pretty shot
While Tolvanen is known for his absolute hammer of a shot, the Kraken forward really did improve his defensive play when asked by Nashville to do so, amongst the other conflicting things they asked him. Tolvanen ranks in the 90th percentile for his defensive plus/minus and has provided solid two-way play on a line that features hard-working skaters that play the whole 200-feet in Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand. That line for Seattle has found good chemistry, protected the puck well, checked well, and as a result have matched up against top opposing lines consistently. Tolvanen has played an important role in that.
Eeli Tolvanen in his first game as a Kraken, against the New York Islanders (Photos by Liv Lyons)
Finding his place amongst the Kraken
Now that you have an idea of what it has taken for Tolvanen to get to this solidified spot with Seattle, I wanted to check in with him to see how he was liking his teammates and the city. I asked Eeli a few questions regarding who welcomed him to the team, initial impression of the organization, checking out the city, and more. Here is what he had to say.
“A lot of guys reached out, coaches and some of the guys... there’ s a bunch of guys that welcomed me here and made it feel a lot like home right away”
“I didn’t really have a first impression, played here a few times already, but other than that I just spent a couple days in a hotel, going to dinner with the guys, and I couldn’t see the city that much. The first month has been pretty nice, trying to explore Seattle. It’s a nice city”
“Just walking around, going for little walks on the days off and trying to get out as much as I can. Just basic stuff, walking around Bellevue, Seattle... going for walks, exploring the city that way. Nothing too crazy”
“The fans are great. The atmosphere has been unreal in the games, they’re pretty loud. It’s nice to come home after the long road trip and feel the presence of your fans, that’s something that has been really nice here. They bring an impact every night, the vibe has been great”
Eeli Tolvanen and teammate Adam Larsson share a smile (Photos by Liv Lyons)
The journey ahead
Tolvanen has found an ideal opportunity for himself within the Kraken organization. He is under contract through 2024 as a 23-year-old forward and can contribute on both ends of the ice. Youth and versatility are exactly two factors that should attract any team, not just Seattle. Considering their current standing and form, the Kraken shouldn’t have to rehaul much of their offensive firepower, meaning that Tolvanen likely had found a home for the time being. With the right support system and the right situation, Tolvanen can and should be a key contributor for a Kraken team built to win for years to come.