Former Florida Panthers defenseman Markus Nutivaara is coming out of retirement and joining Karpat, a Finnish team in Liiga.
The 31-year-old's last professional hockey game came with the Panthers during the 2021-22 season, where he recorded one assist in one game. He signed with the San Jose Sharks the following year, but did not play in any games. He remained unsigned for the next two seasons but has decided to return to hockey, joining Karpat, a team with which he has played at several levels.
Nutivaara worked his way through the Finnish ranks playing with Karpat at the U-16, U-18 and U-20 level before joining their professional team, winning a championship.
The Oulu, FIN. native was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the seventh round (189th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season, scoring two goals and seven points in 66 games.
In 2018, Nutivaara signed a four-year, $10.8 million ($2.7 million annually) contract with the Blue Jackets but was acquired by the Panthers less than two years later. He played in 30 games during the 2020-21 season, notching 10 assists. The final year of his contract saw him receive just one game of NHL action before signing a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Sharks, but he did not play any NHL or AHL games with the franchise.
Now, Nutivaara will join a Karpat side, which features several NHL prospects and former NHL players.
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