Juuso Valimaki, the Finnish defenseman for the Utah Hockey Club, faces a lengthy recovery after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL, sidelining him for approximately 8-9 months. This unfortunate injury means Valimaki will miss training camp and likely the first month of the upcoming NHL season. He recently cleared waivers and was assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners but only played one game with them this season.

A first-round pick by Calgary in 2017, Valimaki has had a turbulent journey in the NHL, including a prior stint with the Arizona Coyotes before re-signing with Utah, where he averaged 16 minutes of ice time over 43 games this past season. With one year remaining on his contract worth $2 million, his future with the team remains in question due to his injury.