Photo by: C. Morgan Engel/Clarkson Creative
Samu Salminen Signs with Florida Panthers
9/20/2026 8:20:00 PM | Ice Hockey
Denver hockey alum registered 11 goals and 29 assists in the team’s championship-winning season
DENVER – Former University of Denver hockey forward Samu Salminen has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Florida Panthers, the NHL club announced on Sunday.
Â
Salminen, 23, registered career highs with 11 goals and 29 points and matched a personal best during this past season with 18 assists while helping the Pioneers win the 2026 NCAA National Championships. Named an alternate captain on the squad prior to the season, Salminen played in all 43 games during his senior campaign and led the team with four game-winning goals, 399 faceoff wins and a .547 faceoff-winning percentage
Â
The Helsinki, Finland, native also added 77 shots on goal and 18 penalty minutes while his +22 plus/minus rating and .143 shooting percentage were both fourth-highest on the squad. He had three multi-goal games during the year, including scoring twice in the third period on Nov. 29 against Minnesota to help the Pioneers rally and force overtime in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Gane at Ball Arena.
Â
Salminen matched a career high with three assists and four points (1g/3a) on Nov. 21 at Arizona State, which marked the most assists (tied) and points in a game during the season by a DU player. He also tied his career high in assists later in the season with a trio of helpers on Feb. 13 at Omaha, which included the 50th assist of his college career. The forward finished February tied for the NCHC lead in goals (4) and points (9) in the month with teammate Rieger Lorenz.
Â
He had another big series against ASU in the final weekend of the regular season as he combined for five points (4g/1a) in the sweep of the Sun Devils and went on to earn his first career weekly honor as the NCHC Forward of the Week. Two weeks later during the conference tournament, Salminen tallied his first career overtime goal in the NCHC Semifinals against Western Michigan on March 14.
Â
Salminen spent two years with the Pioneers after transferring from the University of Connecticut in 2024. In his first campaign at DU in 2024-25, the Finn helped the Pios reach their second straight NCAA Frozen Four while also recording new personal bests with 10 goals, 18 assists and 24 points and ranking second on the squad in faceoff-winning percentage (.555). Salminen scored two short-handed goals in the first period on Dec. 13, 2024 at Colorado College, becoming just the sixth DU player in program history to score two goals on a man disadvantage in the same game and only the fourth to do so in the same period, with former NHLer Tyler Bozak being the last to do so on Nov. 4, 2007 at Minnesota.
Â
At UConn, he combined for 34 points in 62 games from 2022-2024, registering 17 points each campaign. Salminen registered seven points (2g/5a) in his final seven games with the Huskies in 2023-24.
Â
Prior to his time in college, Salminen played for the Jokerit organization in his hometown of Helsinki and served as team captain of Finland for the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship.
Â
Salminen finished his collegiate career with 91 points (37g/54a), 259 shots, 94 penalty minutes and a +50 plus/minus rating in 149 NCAA games across four seasons. He totaled 57 points on 21 goals and 36 assists in 87 contests during his two-year stint at DU from 2024-2026.
Â
He was named to the NCHC Academic Honor Roll in each of his two seasons at Denver and was recognized as a Distinguished Scholar-Athlete from the conference in 2024-25. He graduated from DU in June with his bachelor's degree.
Â
Salminen was previously selected by the New Jersey Devils in the third round at No. 68 overall in the 2021 NHL Draft but did not sign. He became a free agent on Aug. 15.
Â
Â
TICKETS: Single-game tickets, mini plans and group tickets for the DU hockey's championship defense campaign in 2026-27 are on sale now. Click here for more information.
Â
Â
Salminen, 23, registered career highs with 11 goals and 29 points and matched a personal best during this past season with 18 assists while helping the Pioneers win the 2026 NCAA National Championships. Named an alternate captain on the squad prior to the season, Salminen played in all 43 games during his senior campaign and led the team with four game-winning goals, 399 faceoff wins and a .547 faceoff-winning percentage
Â
The Helsinki, Finland, native also added 77 shots on goal and 18 penalty minutes while his +22 plus/minus rating and .143 shooting percentage were both fourth-highest on the squad. He had three multi-goal games during the year, including scoring twice in the third period on Nov. 29 against Minnesota to help the Pioneers rally and force overtime in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Gane at Ball Arena.
Â
Salminen matched a career high with three assists and four points (1g/3a) on Nov. 21 at Arizona State, which marked the most assists (tied) and points in a game during the season by a DU player. He also tied his career high in assists later in the season with a trio of helpers on Feb. 13 at Omaha, which included the 50th assist of his college career. The forward finished February tied for the NCHC lead in goals (4) and points (9) in the month with teammate Rieger Lorenz.
Â
He had another big series against ASU in the final weekend of the regular season as he combined for five points (4g/1a) in the sweep of the Sun Devils and went on to earn his first career weekly honor as the NCHC Forward of the Week. Two weeks later during the conference tournament, Salminen tallied his first career overtime goal in the NCHC Semifinals against Western Michigan on March 14.
Â
Salminen spent two years with the Pioneers after transferring from the University of Connecticut in 2024. In his first campaign at DU in 2024-25, the Finn helped the Pios reach their second straight NCAA Frozen Four while also recording new personal bests with 10 goals, 18 assists and 24 points and ranking second on the squad in faceoff-winning percentage (.555). Salminen scored two short-handed goals in the first period on Dec. 13, 2024 at Colorado College, becoming just the sixth DU player in program history to score two goals on a man disadvantage in the same game and only the fourth to do so in the same period, with former NHLer Tyler Bozak being the last to do so on Nov. 4, 2007 at Minnesota.
Â
At UConn, he combined for 34 points in 62 games from 2022-2024, registering 17 points each campaign. Salminen registered seven points (2g/5a) in his final seven games with the Huskies in 2023-24.
Â
Prior to his time in college, Salminen played for the Jokerit organization in his hometown of Helsinki and served as team captain of Finland for the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship.
Â
Salminen finished his collegiate career with 91 points (37g/54a), 259 shots, 94 penalty minutes and a +50 plus/minus rating in 149 NCAA games across four seasons. He totaled 57 points on 21 goals and 36 assists in 87 contests during his two-year stint at DU from 2024-2026.
Â
He was named to the NCHC Academic Honor Roll in each of his two seasons at Denver and was recognized as a Distinguished Scholar-Athlete from the conference in 2024-25. He graduated from DU in June with his bachelor's degree.
Â
Salminen was previously selected by the New Jersey Devils in the third round at No. 68 overall in the 2021 NHL Draft but did not sign. He became a free agent on Aug. 15.
Â
Â
TICKETS: Single-game tickets, mini plans and group tickets for the DU hockey's championship defense campaign in 2026-27 are on sale now. Click here for more information.
Â
DENVER'S HOME FOR COLLEGE SPORTS Â
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Hockey on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Hockey on X
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_Hockey on Instagram
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Hockey on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Hockey on X
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_Hockey on Instagram
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Ice Hockey
Forward
/ Ice HockeyThursday, September 10
Tuesday, June 30
Tuesday, June 30
Tuesday, June 30
