Santtu Kinnunen

Santtu Kinnunen
Santtu Kinnunen in 2024
Born (1999-03-25) 25 March 1999
Lahti, Finland
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 161 lb (73 kg; 11 st 7 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Right
NL team
Former teams		 SCL Tigers
Pelicans
Tappara
ZSC Lions
NHL draft 207th overall, 2018
Florida Panthers
Playing career 2018–present

Santtu Kinnunen (born 25 March 1999) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing under contract with the SCL Tigers of the National League (NL).

Playing career

Kinnunen played as a youth within the Lahti Pelicans organization before making his professional debut with second tier affiliate, Peliitat Heinola, during the 2017–18 season. Showing promising development on the blueline, Kinnunen was selected by the Florida Panthers in the seventh-round, 207th overall, of the 2018 NHL entry draft.

He made his debut in the Liiga with 27 appearances for Lahti Pelicans during the 2018–19 Liiga season.[1]

Kinnunen played two full seasons with Tappara before he was signed to a two-year, entry-level contract with draft club, the Florida Panthers, on 2 May 2022.[2]

In moving to North America, Kinnunen featured in his first training camp with the Panthers in 2022, before he was re-assigned to begin the 2022–23 season with AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, on 2 October 2022.[3]

At the conclusion of his entry-level contract with the Panthers, Kinnunen as a pending restricted free agent was not tendered a qualifying offer by the club and was released as a free agent. On 18 July 2024, Kinnunen opted to return to Europe in signing a one-year contract with reigning Swiss champions, ZSC Lions of the NL.[4] In the following 2024–25 season, Kinnunen helped the Lions defend their Swiss title, posting 6 goals and 14 points in 38 regular season games. He made 7 post-season appearances and contributed with 2 points.

During the season, Kinnunen agreed to continue his tenure in the NL, signing an initial one-year contract with the SCL Tigers on 11 December 2025.[5]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2016–17 Lahti Pelicans Jr. A 5 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
2017–18 Lahti Pelicans Jr. A 43 4 20 24 22 — — — — —
2017–18 Peliitat Mestis 11 0 4 4 2 — — — — —
2018–19 Lahti Pelicans Jr. A 13 2 5 7 14 10 0 3 3 2
2018–19 Lahti Pelicans Liiga 27 1 6 7 4 — — — — —
2018–19 Peliitat Mestis 21 1 12 13 35 — — — — —
2019–20 Lahti Pelicans Jr. A 6 1 3 4 6 — — — — —
2019–20 Lahti Pelicans Liiga 24 0 1 1 14 — — — — —
2019–20 Peliitat Mestis 26 2 8 10 26 — — — — —
2020–21 Tappara Liiga 59 5 14 19 16 9 2 1 3 0
2021–22 Tappara Liiga 54 4 19 23 57 13 0 2 2 2
2022–23 Charlotte Checkers AHL 69 9 26 35 24 7 2 4 6 2
2023–24 Charlotte Checkers AHL 68 4 17 21 24 3 0 1 1 0
2024–25 ZSC Lions NL 38 6 8 14 4 7 1 1 2 4
2025–26 SCL Tigers NL 49 6 22 28 14 — — — — —
Liiga totals 164 10 40 50 91 22 2 3 5 2
NL totals 87 12 30 42 18 7 1 1 2 4

References

  1. ↑ "Kinnunen Santtu". liiga.fi. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  2. ↑ "Florida Panthers agree to terms with Santtu Kinnunen". Florida Panthers. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  3. ↑ "Panthers assign 10 players to Checkers". Florida Panthers. 2 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "Lions sign Santtu Kinnunen" (in German). ZSC Lions. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  5. ↑ "SCL Tigers sign Santtu Kinnunen for 2025/26 season" (in German). SCL Tigers. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
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