Senators sign defenceman Nikolas Matinpalo to one-year, two-way contract extension

Ottawa Senators president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios announced today that the team has signed defenceman Nikolas Matinpalo to a one-year, two-way contract extension. The contract carries a value of $775,000 in the National Hockey League and $200,000 in the American Hockey League.

A native of Espoo, Finland, Matinpalo, 25, was originally signed to an entry-level contract by the Senators as a European free agent on May 25, 2023, and spent his first season in North America in 2023-24.

“Nikolas is a steady defensive defenceman who impressed while making his transition to the North American game last season,” said Staios. “He held a key shutdown role in Belleville, was a strong penalty killer and performed well in NHL games when he was recalled to Ottawa.”

Matinpalo led Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators, with a plus-15 plus/minus rating last season and registered 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) while skating in all but five of the B-Sens’ 72 regular-season games in 2023-24. The first of five Senators to make his respective NHL debut last season, in Ottawa’s 5-2 win at Pittsburgh on Oct. 28, Matinpalo earned a plus-one rating and was held scoreless over four NHL contests.

Fans can put a deposit down now to lock in a group experience for one of the B-Sens six guaranteed dates for the 2024-25 season, with more information on 2024-25 season seat memberships or 2024-25 Business Elite memberships, available via the Belleville Sens website, or by emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com. 

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