To say Joel Blomqvist is doing well in his transition to North American pro hockey would be a bit of an understatement. Pittsburgh’s 2020 second-round draft pick has been named an AHL All-Star in his first year with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after signing a three-year entry-level deal in April 2023.
“It feels really good,” said Blomqivst, who had spent the last two seasons playing in Finland’s Liiga. “I’ve been working hard every day during the season, so it’s been fun this far.”
The 22-year-old goaltender will be playing alongside some of the best young players in the world as he represents the Atlantic Division at the AHL All-Star Classic, scheduled for tonight in San Jose.
“I just think it's going to be a great experience,” he said. “I mean, obviously there are a lot of good players there. So, it feels pretty special to be to be a part of that kind of group.”
Blomqvist went to California with a 14-7-3 record, along with the second-best goals-against average in the league (2.08) while also being top-five save in percentage (.922). He gives a lot of credit to Pittsburgh’s staff for making the adjustment go smoothly.
“I think my goalie coaches here have been awesome. They’ve been following my game in the recent years, and I think they have a good understanding on what I need to focus on when coming over to play here,” Blomqvist said. “Obviously the game is a little bit different over here than back in back in Finland. The rink is smaller here, and I think it’s a little bit faster, too.”
For those reading this who haven’t yet had the pleasure of watching Blomqvist play, he summed up his style best:
“I try to be a calm goaltender who doesn’t do too much extra stuff that’s not necessary. You just try to read the game well and, I don't know, just stop every single puck.”
He’s got a maturity beyond his years, as goaltending development coach Kain Tisi said this about Blomqvist during development camp in 2022: “His skillset as a goalie and his movement is, I think, elite. We value that very much. He's got a calm demeanor; nothing really rattles him… amazing young man, a great human being. He's just got a phenomenal skillset and talent, and we're extremely excited for him."
When Blomqvist isn’t juggling before the game to get his mind right, or working on improving his game on the ice, he enjoys getting outside for walks and just being around his teammates – whom Joel also credits for the success he’s enjoying right now.
“I want to thank my teammates,” he said. “I couldn't have done it without their support.”
Blomqvist will look to join some notable names at the goaltender position who made the jump from being an AHL All-Star to an NHL one. Tristan Jarry, Thatcher Demko, and Connor Hellebuyck are just a few who have been nominated at both levels.
What’s exciting is that more than 94 percent of All-Star Classic participants have gone on to compete in the National Hockey League. Blomqvist learned a lot about what it takes to play at the highest level during his time in Pittsburgh for training camp.
“That time was really special for me,” Blomqvist said. “It was my kind of first time being a part of a group with real NHL players, and it was pretty nice to see how competitive everything was. Everyone was fighting for a spot on the team. It was really nice to see the guys on and off the ice, it was pretty cool.”
Once Blomqvist returns to Wilkes-Barre, they’ll look to close the back half of the season on the right foot and make a run to the playoffs, and he’ll look to be a solid presence between the pipes for his team.
“The goal for this whole season for me was being to play as many games as possible on a consistent level,” he said. “So, I will probably stick to those things, just try to work hard every day and just improve. Try to improve every game and go from there.”
