Salminen Discusses First Year at UCONN | PROSPECT WATCH

Samu Salminen was at first surprised but then struck by a certain familiarity watching the UConn men's basketball team capture the NCAA championship last week.
"I didn't know how big (college basketball) was," he said of arriving in the U.S. and watching his school make a national championship run, "it's crazy but I was very lucky to be able to see it, especially my first year here."
Undergoing the crash course in college hoops, later in the same conversation it dawned on Salminen that what he witnessed was both different but also very similar to having seen Finnish hockey fans celebrate a couple of big tournament victories in recent years.
"Very similar for sure, a big, big party everywhere in the streets," he said, comparing UConn's win with Finland's gold medal at last spring's World Championship on home ice and several years earlier, the last time his country hosted the World Junior. Both victories came in overtime.

Any other similarities to life now, in Storrs, compared to Helsinki, his hometown?
"Well, Finland is more like Alaska or Canada," he explained, "but there are some things here that (remind me of home).
Has Salminen been able to find any reindeer hotdogs?
"Hah," he laughed, confirming those are strictly a Finnish delicacy - he didn't say whether they are popular at Christmas time - but he did counter with another tasty treat from back home.
"Moose!"
Salminen was kidding - he never expected to find reindeer or moose hot dogs on these shores - but he did say that some of the nuances of his new hockey/school home have taken some getting used to.
"It's my first time away from home, so it was an (adjustment) to the new culture and things like that."
Salminen just turned 20 this week and was picked by the Devils two years ago in the 2021 NHL Draft. He just finished his first year playing for the Huskies and was late arriving but got more comfortable on the ice as time wore on. He ended the season with nine goals and eight assists in 27 games, missing eight contests due to visa issues.
Salminen, 6-3, 190 pounds, is a big center who has been on the radar even before the Devils drafted him. He was an age-group captain of the famed Finnish club, Jokerit, and wore a "C" two years ago for his country at the World U18s in suburban Dallas. Though he doesn't necessarily project as a scoring pivot, his point totals in his draft year and in 2021-22 stuck out. He scored seven goals and added two assists in seven games at the U18s; Across two seasons playing in Finland's top U20 loop, he's played 61 games, scoring 29 goals and 45 assists, an impressive clip by any measure.
The Devils selected Salminen in the third round (68th overall) a few months after the U18s, where Finland finished fourth, losing to Sweden in the bronze medal game. He is the younger brother of Saku and Sami, both of whom played pro hockey in Finland, Saku having been drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning a decade ago. And yes, he did make light of how similar he and his brothers were named by their parents, Nina and Pekka, a former pro himself.
Salminen said he is "good friends" with Topias Vilen, the Devils defense prospect who has been signed by the club and is expected to play in Utica next season. Though they grew up in different cities and at different clubs, Salminen and Vilen were born nine days apart and have played together on the Finnish national team. They were taken 61 selections apart in the same NHL draft.
The visa hiccup - a common occurrence for non-Americans post-pandemic - wasn't the only obstacle Salminen has been forced to navigate this season. By being in limbo he seemingly fell out of favor with Finnish selectors and was left off the roster for the past World Junior tournaments. The most recent omission in Canada over the holiday season surprised many observers and Salminen acknowledged his disappointment but also understood the reasoning behind it.
"For sure, I was disappointed, big-time," he said, "but I had only played a few games when the (roster) was (announced), other (players) had played 25 to 30 games."
Salminen eventually arrived at UConn and played regularly from just before the holiday break onwards. The Huskies, unfortunately, had their season ended about a month ago. Still, Salminen was pleased with his decision to play U.S. college hockey, which is the road less travelled for many European players but one that is becoming more common. Brother Sami blazed that trail within the Salminen clan, having played at Northern Michigan (Samu was originally supposed to go to Denver).
"It's good to be in a situation where everyone is trying to make (pro hockey)," he said, rather than playing in the professional leagues in Europe, where there is wider variance in age and where players are heading or coming from.
Scouts noticed during Salminen's draft year his tendency to get his nose dirty down low and retrieve pucks in areas that are not always welcoming territory for fancy play. Perhaps because of that nose for the net, Salminen has had a knack for scoring goals, or setting them up, at important times and in big games. It's a nuanced quality that can be difficult to define but also impossible to ignore.
With his sophomore season next up, Salminen stands to assume a bigger role. Matthew Wood is another freshman UConn forward and is expected to be a top-32 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft; Wood, a right-shot winger, and Salminen, a left-shot center, could be an interesting pairing next season.
"He's a great player… (I think) he'll be a first-rounder,' said Salminen, of Wood.
Whomever he plays with, Salminen's intention is like his play, straight-forward:
"I want to keep getting more confidence and become more of an all-rounder."