GENTING Casino Coventry Blaze have announced the signing of Finnish forward Janne Kivilahti to complete their roster for the season.
The 29-year-old forward has spent the last three seasons playing in Sweden’s second and third tier.
He played an important role in IK Oskarshamn’s promotion to Sweden’s top-flight before spending the next season with Karlskrona.
In 77 regular season and playoff appearances in the second tier, Kivilahti scored 33 points (19 goals, 14 assists).
Meanwhile, in the third tier, the left-shooter had 57 points (25 goals, 32 assists) in 54 games.
That came after playing in his native country for several years – amassing 228 appearances from which he earned 145 points (64 goals, 81 assists).
He won a bronze medal with Espoo United. in 2016/17 and spent his junior years developing at some of Finland’s biggest clubs including Jokerit, Espoo Blues and Kärpät.
Blaze head coach Danny Stewart said: “We’re very happy to get Janne on board. He’s a very skilled player that has produced everywhere he has been.
“He will bring speed and skill to our line-up – an area we feel we need a bit more of. He will certainly help us create more offence both five-on-five and on the powerplay.”
Blaze are next in action at 6pm on Sunday, October 17 when they host Belfast Giants at the Skydome Arena.
