Kraken Hopeful Julius Miettinen
… and why the heck is he presently listed on the Kraken’s NHL.com roster?
This one’s easy. When you’re the MVP of the 2026 Western Hockey League playoffs, that tends to get noticed. (Just the second European WHLer to be named playoff MVP, following Leon Draisaitl in 2014.) Drafted by the Kraken in the 2nd round in 2024, Miettinen this season led his Everett Silvertips to their first WHL title.
“I could never even dream of this,” he said in a postgame TV interview. “We’re so tight as a group. There isn’t a single guy on this team who can’t play.”
Miettinen somehow upped his game from an impressive 35 goal, 76 point regular season. The Finnish center scored 14 goals and 13 assists in 18 playoff games. He also won nearly 60% of his postseason faceoffs, and was +21.
“You couldn’t ask for a much better season,” writes CHL.ca’s Cami Kepke. “He was third on the ‘Tips in scoring, third across the entire league in plus/minus with a +60 rating, and eighth in faceoff wins. He hit a new gear in the postseason with a league-best 27 points. He added four points (2G-2A) at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship with Finland.”
Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff adds, “Miettinen doesn’t lose many physical battles, and he’s a shot-generation machine, often six-plus times per game. Miettinen will get his first taste of pro hockey this year, and it shouldn’t take him long to adjust thanks to his pro-ready muscle and shot. He’s also a bit more reliable as a two-way center than many others his age.”
Hadi Kalakeche of Dobber Prospects calls Miettinen a “big, speedy winger who loves to score in transition. Needs to add defensive value and creativity to his game, but could become a solid third-line power forward.”
The 20-year-old’s three year entry level contract, signed in 2025, will kick in this autumn when Miettinen joins the AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds. Expect the Helsinki native to eventually find his way back to Puget Sound.
(Part of a series of articles featuring lesser known names presently on the expanded Seattle roster. Does it mean they’ll be at the NHL training camp … ?) (Yep)
Earlier Kraken:
— Big Time Kraken – NHL Talk With TV’s John Forslund
