Kivilahti completes Blaze roster

Finnish forward joins Coventry

Coventry Blaze Head Coach Danny Stewart has completed his roster for this season with the signing of Finnish forward Janne Kivilahti.

The 29-year-old has played in Sweden for the past three seasons, splitting his time over the HockeyAllsvenskan and HockeyEttan.

"We're very happy to get Janne on board. He’s a very skilled player that has produced everywhere he has been," said Stewart, who said in his preseason press conference that he still had one more player left to sign.

"He will bring speed and skill to our line-up; an area we feel we need a bit more of. He will certainly help us create more offense both five-on-five and on the powerplay."

In 77 regular season and playoff appearances in the Allsvenskan, Kivilahti scored 33 points (19 goals, 14 assists). Whilst with IK Oskarshamn, Kivilahti played an important role in the team earning promotion to the SHL.

In the Ettan, the left-shooter had 57 points (25 goals, 32 assists) in 54 games. Prior to heading abroad, Kivilahti spent several years playing in his home country, notably icing 228 times in the Mestis with 145 points (64 goals, 81 assists). In 2016/17 he won a bronze medal with Espoo United. Kivilahti spent his junior years developing through the systems of Finland's biggest clubs, Jokerit, Espoo Blues and Kärpät.

This signing counts as the first of the Blaze's official changes for 2021/22. As they initially registered only 13 'non-homegrown' players, the team now have six more changes to use.