Red Wings sign defenceman Oliwer Kaski to entry-level contract

Finland's Marko Anttila, center, celebrates with Oliwer Kaski (7), Kaapo Kakko (24), Niko Ojamaki (20), and Sakari Manninen (65) after Anttila scored a goal against Canada during the Ice Hockey World Championships gold medal match. (Petr David Josek/AP)

Sportsnet Staff May 28, 2019, 3:05 PM

The Detroit Red Wings have signed defenceman Oilwer Kaski to a one-year entry-level contract.

The Detroit #RedWings today signed defenseman Oliwer Kaski (@KaskiOliwer) to a one-year entry-level contract.

Details: https://t.co/ncpdMtboaW pic.twitter.com/Ahwb4u24wS

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) May 28, 2019

Kaski spent the 2018-19 season with the Lahti Pelicans in the SM-Liiga putting up 19 goals and 51 points in 59 games. His 51 points were the third most by a defenceman in league history behind Brian Rafalski and Pekka Rautakallio.

The 23-year-old also won the Lasse Oksanen Award as the league’s best player during the regular season after leading all defencemen in goals and points.

The six-foot-three, 190-pound defenceman played two seasons at Western Michigan University where he put up 12 points in 31 games in 2015-16 then skated in one game the following season before returning to Finland to make his professional debut for HIFK Helsinki.

Kaski won a gold medal in his debut with the Finnish national team at the 2019 IIHF World Championship, collecting two assists in 10 games.