Ex-Vancouver Canucks defenceman Juolevi gets married in Finland
Wedding bells are ringing across the NHL, and a former Vancouver Canucks defenceman has tied the knot as well.
Olli Juolevi, who played 23 games with the Canucks in the 2020-21 season, got married to his longtime girlfriend Emma Niemi in a ceremony in Helsinki earlier this month.
While no specific location was mentioned in the post, another post from Niemi features the Helsinki skyline in the background. Part of the ceremony took place on a pier inside the city.
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Juolevi was originally drafted by the Canucks fifth overall at the 2016 NHL draft. Being a high selection, there were plenty of expectations put on Juolevi to become a useful NHL player in Vancouver.
That didn’t come to fruition, as the Finnish defender didn’t make his NHL debut until the 2020-21 season and disappointed in his limited opportunity. With things souring with the Canucks, Vancouver opted to trade him to the Florida Panthers early into the 2021-22 season.
He failed to catch on with the Panthers and was subsequently claimed off waivers by the Detroit Red Wings in March of 2022. He played eight games with the Red Wings and then signed a one-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks, where he spent the entirety of the 2022-23 season in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls.
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After failing to crack several NHL rosters, Juolevi opted to go to Sweden for the 2023-24 season with Timra IK. He then moved over to Finland’s SM-Liiga midway through the year, where he won a championship with Tappara Tampere.
Juolevi appeared in just nine games with Tappara last season, notching a goal and three points.
While his NHL career didn’t turn out like Canucks fans may have wanted, it appears he has found his footing back in his native Finland.