Nashville, Tenn. (April 3, 2018) - Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Tuesday that the club has signed goaltender Niclas Westerholm to a three-year, entry-level contract, which will begin in 2018-19.
Westerholm, 20 (8/13/97), made his professional hockey debut this season with SaiPa of the Finnish Elite League, recording a 3.23 goals-against average and .898 save percentage in four games. He has spent the majority of the 2017-18 season with SaiPa's under-20 team in the Jr. A SM-liiga, where he recorded a 2.42 goals-against average and .926 save percentage in 28 appearances.
Never drafted, the 6-foot-4, 198-pound goaltender has experience playing in North America, appearing in 28 games for Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl High School during the 2015-16 season. Westerholm spent five seasons with the Karhu-Kissat junior program from 2010-15, working his way from junior C to junior A prior to his time in Minnesota. The Helsinki, Finland, native posted his best season with Karhu-Kissat in 2014-15 on its under-18 squad, recording a 1.81 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in 16 performances.
Predators Sign Goaltender Niclas Westerholm
20-Year-Old Finnish Goaltender Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Deal Starting in 2018-19
