Nikolas Matinpalo

Nikolas Matinpalo (born 5 October 1998) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career Finland Matinpalo made his Liiga debut with Ilves during the 2018–19 season. He made 30 appearances for Ilves in the regular season, scoring two goals and four assists for six points. He also appeared in two games for KooVee Tampere of Mestis going scoreless. Matinpalo made seven playoff appearances, going scoreless.

He began the 2020–21 season with Ilves and made 11 appearances, going scoreless. He also played one game for KooVoo Tampere. In 30 games with Ässät to finish the season, he marked one goal and three points. In his final year with the team in 2022–23, he set new career highs with 51 appearances, with seven goals and 16 points. In eight playoff games, Matinpalo tallied four assists. He attended the 2023 Senators training camp but did not make the team. He was assigned to Ottawa's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Belleville Senators, to begin the 2023–24 season. After injuries to Thomas Chabot and Erik Brännström, Matinpalo was recalled by Ottawa on 28 October. He played in his first NHL game the same day, a 5–2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was returned to Belleville after four games with Ottawa on 10 November. Matinpalo spent the rest of the season with Belleville, playing in 67 games, scoring four goals and 14 points. He passed through waivers, going unclaimed, and was assigned to Belleville to start the 2024–25 season. He was recalled to Ottawa on 28 December as an injury replacement for Artem Zub. He made his season debut on 29 December in a 3–1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. He was briefly returned to Belleville on 3 January 2025 before being recalled again on 7 January. He made 24 appearances for Belleville, tallying two goals and eight points. He recorded his first NHL goal in a 4–0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on 6 April. The Senators qualified for the playoffs, facing the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round. He made his playoff debut on 20 April. The Senators were eliminated in six games in their best-of-seven series. In the series, Matinpalo went scoreless. In 50 games, he added five assists. Matinpalo went scoreless in the four games. The team finished seventh in the tournament. In February 2025, Matinpalo was called up to Finland's roster replacing defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen during the Four Nations Face-Off. In January 2026, he was named to Finland roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics and won a bronze medal.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs

International