The Windsor Spitfires have added depth between the pipes.
The club announced Friday that it has signed Finnish goaltender Kari Piiroinen to a standard OHL player and education package.
Spits general manager Warren Rychel says Piiroinen is the goalie they hope to turn to in the future.
“Kari is the best goaltender in Finland in his age group,” Rychel said in a statement. “He's a great addition to our team that will provide us depth behind Mikey [DiPietro] in the immediate future. We're confident he will grow into a premier starter in our league.”
Piiroinen was chosen by Windsor in this year's OHL Import Draft in June, with the 30th overall pick.
The Helsinki native, who turned 17 on Canada Day, played this past season with the HIFK U-18 team. Over 27 games, he compiled a 2.73 goals-against-average during the regular season and a 91.2% save percentage. In five playoff games, he put up a whopping 95.7% save percentage and a 1.00 GAA.
Piiroinen also backstopped Team Finland at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Dawson, B.C.