The 6-foot-2, 192-pound, left-shooting Seppala has played for KooKoo in Finland's top pro league, Liiga, over the last four seasons. His offensive game blossomed this season with eight goals and 21 assists in 57 games. During the Liiga playoffs, he's posted eight assists in 15 games.
"Peetro is a young defenseman who skates well and has an offensive upside," Francis said. "He's proven himself in the highest ranks in Finland, and we're excited to be adding him to our organization."
Seppala has been a regular member of Finland's national teams at the juniors level. He played in 12 World Championships games (five U18 and seven U20). Overall, he appeared in 43 for his country. The U18 Finland team won gold.
Here are scouting notes about Seppala from Finland's top junior hockey website: "Smooth with the puck and makes calculated decisions in all three zones ... Swift hands when carrying the puck up the ice ... Strong passer with strong skating ability, good agility, footwork and backward-skating ability ... a defenseman to count on in key situations over the course of the season."
