Friday: As expected, HIFK has announced that San Jose has loaned Suomela to them, permitting him to play in the SM-liiga until NHL training camps begin.
Wednesday: As part of their qualifying offer announcements, the Sharks announced that they’ve re-signed center Antti Suomela to a one-year, two-way contract. While financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, CapFriendly reports that the deal is worth $700K in the NHL and $350K in the AHL.
The 26-year-old recently wrapped up his second season in North America and once again split the season between the Sharks and the Barracuda, their AHL affiliate. In 20 games at the top level, he had a goal and six assists despite only averaging 9:41 per night of ice time. He was more productive in the minors with five goals and four helpers in 14 games.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Suomela has started skating with HIFK in Finland but was unable to play for them due to his NHL contract situation. Now that a deal has been done, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a loan announcement in the coming days.