Henrik Haapala

Playing career

He is a skilled offensive forward whose biggest asset is his ability to change his skating direction very rapidly alongside with his clever passes. He is rather small for a professional hockey player which might be an issue when the play gets physical, though.

Haapala first played as a 14-year old youth within the Tappara system in 2008. He played his first professional game with Tappara in the 2011–12 season. Early in the 2012–13 season he formed a great line with NHL-veteran Ville Nieminen and Aleksander Barkov as his linemates. Haapala had 13 points in 12 games counting from the start of the season, but after an injury, he lost the pace. He played most of spring 2013 for Tappara's junior team.

In the 2013–14, 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons, he was a regular in Tappara's professional squad, but injuries were holding his development back. There was notable progress in each season however. Haapala agreed to his third contract extension to remain in Tappara by signing a 3-year deal on May 12, 2016.

In the 2016–17 season, Haapala finally made his breakthrough to international level. He scored 15 goals and had 45 assists in 51 regular season games and was awarded the Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy for leading the league in total points at the end of the regular season. In the post-season, he had 2 goals and 7 assists in 16 games as Haapala's team Tappara marched to their second consecutive championship. Haapala represented the men's national team in six games in which he had two goals and an assist.

On June 1, 2017, Haapala was signed as a free agent by the Florida Panthers to a two-year, entry-level contract.