Kasper Halttunen

Kasper Halttunen (born 7 June 2005) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who is a winger for the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect under contract to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Halttunen was drafted 36th overall by the Sharks in the second round of the 2023 NHL entry draft.

Playing career Halttunen made his professional debut for IFK Helsingfors on 24 September 2022, in a game against KooKoo Kouvola. Following his selection by the Sharks, as the first Finnish prospect chosen in the 2023 NHL entry draft, Halttunen was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with San Jose on 12 July 2023. In August 2023, he signed for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. In the 2024 playoffs Halttunen led the OHL in playoff goals as the Knights won the J. Ross Robertson Cup. As OHL champions, the Knights played in the 2024 Memorial Cup in Saginaw, where they reached the championship game but were defeated 4–3 by the host Saginaw Spirit, in a rematch of the teams' semi-final series during the OHL playoffs. Halttunen was named to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team.

After participating in the San Jose Sharks' training camp, Halttunen was assigned to play with San Jose's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, to begin the 2024–25 season. He had four points in six games before being sent back to the OHL for the remainder of the season. The London Knights won their second consecutive Robertson Cup, with Halttunen recording 21 points. He scored nine goals in the championship series against the Oshawa Generals, the most for an OHL player in the playoff finals since Jonathan Cheechoo in 1999. In recognition of this, Halttunen received the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as the most valuable player of the postseason. The Knights went on to compete at the 2025 Memorial Cup, ultimately defeating the Medicine Hat Tigers for the title.

On 23 June 2026, Halttunen was traded to the Ottawa Senators alongside forwards William Eklund and Brandon Svoboda for a 2026 first-round pick.

International play

Halttunen represented Finland under-18 team at the 2022 World U18 Championships where he recorded three goals and two assists in six games and won a bronze medal. He also won a silver medal at the 2025 World Junior Championships while representing the Finland junior team. He recorded one goal and three assists in the tournament.

Career statistics Bold indicates led league

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2021–22 Jokerit U20 41 24 14 38 75 1 1 0 1 25 2022–23 HIFK U20 18 18 6 24 14 3 0 0 0 0 2022–23 HIFK Liiga 27 0 1 1 8 1 0 0 0 0 2022–23 Kiekko-Vantaa Mestis 3 1 2 3 2 3 1 1 2 4 2023–24 London Knights OHL 57 32 29 61 61 18 17 9 26 14 2024–25 London Knights OHL 38 21 20 41 38 17 15 6 21 18 2024–25 San Jose Barracuda AHL 6 2 2 4 2 — — — — — 2025–26 San Jose Barracuda AHL 69 16 19 35 45 2 1 0 1 0 Liiga totals 27 0 1 1 8 1 0 0 0 0

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2021 Finland HG18 4th 5 0 0 0 6 2022 Finland U18 6 3 2 5 0 2022 Finland HG18 5 1 2 3 4 2023 Finland U18 5th 5 6 4 10 6 2024 Finland WJC 4th 7 3 3 6 4 2025 Finland WJC 7 1 3 4 6Junior totals 35 14 14 28 26

Awards and honours Award Year RefCHL Memorial Cup All-Star Team 2024 Memorial Cup champion 2025 OHL J. Ross Robertson Cup champion 2024, 2025 Wayne Gretzky 99 Award 2025