Utah Hockey Club Defenseman to Miss Nearly an Entire Year After Suffering ACL Injury

It was announced today by the Utah Hockey Club organization that 26-year-old Juuso Välimäki
will miss the rest of the year and the first part of the 2025-26 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL.

General Manager Bill Armstrong shared the following statement:

Limited to 43 games this season, the defenseman scored two goals and recorded three assists. Drafted 16th overall in 2017 by the Calgary Flames, he signed a two-year, $2,000,000 AAV deal with Utah last summer.

In 271 career games for the Flames, Arizona Coyotes, and Utah HC, the six-foot-two Finnish player has tallied 11 goals and 61 assists, along with 133 penalty minutes.

Välimäki hasn't been on an NHL roster since clearing waivers in February. He sustained his ACL injury in his first AHL game with the Tucson Roadrunners on February 28.

In their first season in franchise history, Utah HC is currently four points away from a playoff spot, trailing the Minnesota Wild, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, and St. Louis Blues in the race for the Western Conference's wild-card playoff spot.

The team has faced significant adversity due to injuries this season, with many defensemen spending time on injured reserve. However, with most of them now back, coping with Välimäki's absence won't be as difficult.

Utah will be back on the ice tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who made big changes to their roster at the deadline, notably adding Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo.