NEWARK, N.J. -- The New Jersey Devils have signed Santeri Hatakka to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 at the NHL level and $125,000 ($150,000 guaranteed) at the American Hockey League (AHL) level. The announcement was made on Monday morning by President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald and Devils' Assistant General Manager/Utica Comets General Manager Dan MacKinnon.
The defenseman was one of five restricted free agents the Devils tenured qualifying offers to in June, along with Adam Beckman, Nico Daws , Nolan Foote, and Dawson Mercer.
Initially acquired in the Timo Meier trade with the San Jose Sharks , Hatakka made his Devils debut in January against the Vegas Golden Knights.
From January to March, the 23-year-old appeared in 12 NHL games and earned two assists. In the AHL with the Utica Comets, he played 48 games and collected 20 points (five goals, 15 assists). Per the press release, "His goal and assist totals, along with his 32 penalty minutes (PIM), all marked single-season career-highs at the AHL level. His five goals led all Utica defensemen in 2023-24."
During the Devils 2024 Development Camp, Topias Vilen shared that Hatakka was one of his teammates who took him under his wing during his first full year in the AHL, as both are Finnish.
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