How Finnish defenseman Emil Pieniniemi has become a top Penguins prospect

OTTAWA The first time Kingston Frontenacs general manager Kory Cooper saw Emil Pieniniemi play, he was at the 2023 U18 World Championship in Switzerland with his assistant general manager Ethan ORourke.

They were there looking for potential import players and Pieniniemi, playing alongside then-top prospect Aron Kiviharju on Finlands top pair, caught their eye for his ability to run a power play and efficiently move the puck.

Advertisement After leaving Basel and Porrentruy to return home, the Frontenacs, who had the 10th pick in the CHL Import Draft that year, debated whether it was worth using such a high selection on Pieniniemi when they knew that he was likely to play his post-draft season in Liiga with Karpat and that they may only get him two seasons later if they were lucky.

They didnt know which team would take him in the NHL Draft a few weeks after the import draft, either and whether that team would be amenable to him leaving pro hockey to play junior as a 19-year-old.

Still, Cooper saw a lot of upside in his overall game and decided to chance it.

The Penguins went on to draft him in the third round of the 2023 draft, he registered six points in 38 games in Liiga, played in the World Juniors as an 18-year-old and then signed his entry-level contract.

After playing the long game, though, they got him and he joined the Frontenacs for his 19-year-old season.

A year and a half after Cooper and ORourke saw him play in Switzerland, he left for his second World Juniors fifth in scoring among OHL defensemen with 34 points in 32 games and third in power-play points among all skaters with 16 having become the power-play quarterback Cooper envisioned he would.

On Boxing Day, in a full circle moment alongside Kiviharju on another top pairing for Finland, he wore an A on his jersey and led all players in time on ice with 23:59 in the Finns tournament-opening game against Canada, logging 10:31 in the third period.

Just 18 hours later, he opened the scoring for the Finns in the second half of a back-to-back against Germany.

The #LetsGoPens prospect picks his spot! @KingstonFronts d-man Emil Pieniniemi buries the opening goal for ! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/7AgKHWewOm Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) December 27, 2024 When the game was over, hed again led the Finns in ice time, playing 20:13 to go along with his goal and also-team-leading six shots.

Postgame, Team Finland head coach Lauri Mikkola put it simply: Hes very important.

When Pieniniemi arrived in Kingston this fall, his first impression was that he was exactly what Cooper and his staff expected hed be.

Theyd gone down to see him play at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Mich., in August to preempt his arrival and so that new head coach Troy Mann could begin to form a relationship with him.

Advertisement Theyd watched a lot of his games in Liiga last year online and knew when he arrived that hed run their power play a spot where they felt they were lacking and play significant minutes in all situations.

And from Day 1, he did everything they asked of him at a high level, according to Cooper.

Were super happy that, that plan came together, Cooper said on a recent phone call.

No.

1, playing the mens game last year helped him.

And he didnt play a ton of minutes but playing at that level showed that he was super competitive when there was a little less time and space.

Cooper said he has also benefitted from the attention the Penguins development staff have been able to give him in Kingston.

In the early months of this season, Cooper said members of the Penguins development staff, including director of player development Tom Kostopouloss and skills consultant Andrew Fritsch have been in town a lot monthly, if not biweekly to take him to dinner and get out on the ice with him.

Pieniniemi said their focus has been primarily on his skating and that he feels like it has improved.

They really guide them along the process of not only on the ice but off the ice from a culture standpoint and right down to food and all those areas, Cooper said of the Penguins hands-on approach.

They check in regularly and are here often with him.

I think they really helped the process with him and allowed him to adapt a little quicker than some other imports.

Pieniniemi also has his father, Mika, a longtime coach with KalPa and Karpat in Finland who coached their womens national team at the 2013 and 2014 world championships as well as the 2014 Olympics, in his corner something he said has been big for his development and mindset.

The biggest adjustment for Pieniniemi this season has been the OHLs schedule, which is littered with three-games-in-three-nights stretches.

Advertisement Early on in the year, Frontenacs assistant coach Chris Longo thought it was a little bit of a drain on him.

Hed play one really strong game and then as the weekend went on his play would diminish just because of the minutes hed played and not being used to playing this type of schedule, Longo said on a recent phone call.

But he has adapted and he has been very good for us.

Hes an offensive player and thats what hes known for and he has been very good for us on the power play and just the way he moves the puck five-on-five but his defensive game is getting better.

Were very happy with him, especially on his defensive structure, which has been really good.

Off the ice, he fit in seamlessly with his new team.

Though Cooper found him a little more reserved and quiet initially and wondered if there was maybe a little more anxiety about the new surroundings, he said his Frontenacs teammates really warmed up to him quickly and he has spent a lot of time with 20-year-old Montreal Canadiens draft pick Cedrick Guindon and fellow Finnish import Tuomas Uronen.

It has just been a really good fit, Cooper said.

Hes a funny, witty kid and he has opened up more and more every day as the season has gone on.

Guindon has become his chauffeur, driving him everywhere, and Uronen has given him a friend from the national team and someone to talk in his native language with.

Uronen, who has played with Pieniniemi for years on the national team, calls him his best friend and says they spend all of their time together in Kingston Hes such a nice guy, Uronen said.

Pieniniemi, with a big grin on his face, said they have a lot of fun together.

He has blended really well with the kids.

Hes a funny personality.

Hes kind of a free-spirited type kid.

Hes very laid back and casual and his English is good enough that he can throw a jab and have a little pushback, Longo said.

The guys really like him and enjoy having him around for sure.

And at the same time, hes got the switch that when its game time he can turn it on.

Advertisement The tiredness in back-to-backs certainly doesnt seem to be a problem for Pieniniemi down the highway from Kingston in Ottawa at the World Juniors, either.

In a span of less than 24 hours to start the tournament, hed played nearly 45 minutes.

He has had a very good season and he has developed a lot in this season what kind of player he is now, Mikkola said.

He can play both ways really well.

When hes defending, he can strike very hard and on the power play, he can move the puck and also has very good timing when he shoots the puck to the net.

He can watch that hole and fire it when its the right time.

Pieniniemi isnt satisfied, though.

Not bad, not great, he said of his play through two games.

I can be better.

(Photo: Jussi Nukari / Sipa via AP Images).

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