Today, the New Jersey Devils made an announcement regarding the signing of defenseman Santeri Hatakka. The team has agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with Hatakka, with a value of $775,000 at the NHL level and $125,000 ($150,000 guaranteed) at the AHL level. President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald and Devils’ Assistant General Manager/Utica Comets General Manager Dan MacKinnon were the ones to make this announcement.

Hatakka, aged 23, had his first appearance for the Devils on January 22, 2024, facing Vegas. He participated in 12 games with the New Jersey team during the previous season. Standing at 6’1″ and weighing 190 pounds, this defenseman achieved his inaugural point with New Jersey on January 27, 2024, while playing against Tampa Bay. Throughout the NHL season, he accumulated a total of two assists. Hatakka maintained an average ice time of 14 minutes and 39 seconds, and his plus/minus record stood at plus-5.

Last season, the left-handed shooter participated in 48 games for New Jersey’s AHL team in Utica, accumulating 20 points (5 goals and 15 assists). Hatakka achieved his highest career totals in both goals and assists at the AHL level, while also accumulating 32 penalty minutes (PIM). In the 2023-24 season, Hatakka’s five goals were the most among all defensemen in Utica.

Born on Jan. 15, 2001, Hatakka was acquired by New Jersey on Feb. 26, 2023, in the Timo Meier trade with San Jose in exchange for Fabian Zetterlund, Andreas Johnsson, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Nikita Okhotiuk, a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft (#26 overall- Quentin Musty), a conditional second-round pick in 2024 and a seventh-round pick in 2024. The San Jose Sharks drafted Hatakka in the sixth round, 184^th overall, at the 2019 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut with the club on Oct. 30, 2022, against Winnipeg. To date, Hatakka has played in 21 career NHL games (0g-4a) as well as 97 AHL games (8g-27a) since 2021-22.

Hatakka, hailing from Riihimaki, Finland, proudly donned the Finnish jersey at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) U18 World Junior Championship (WJC) in 2019 and consecutively at the U20 WJC in 2020 and 2021. Recognizing his exceptional leadership skills, Finland bestowed upon Hatakka the title of alternate captain at the 2021 WJC, where the team triumphantly secured a bronze medal.