CHL to NHL: Former Rangers d-man Ottavainen debuts with Kraken

Former Kitchener Rangers defenceman Ville Ottavainen made his NHL debut with the Seattle Kraken Tuesday night.

In a 6-5 loss to LA, Ottavainen played 14:24 and registered an assist, one shot, one block and three hits.

The Finnish native played one season in the OHL in 2019-20 where he made 53 appearances with Kitchener and had 15 points (four goals). The Rangers had selected him 35th overall in the 2019 CHL Import Draft.

As a pro, the 22-year-old has played three seasons in his native Finland but has spent the past two campaigns with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds where he’s recorded 49 points in 136 games.

Ottavainen was the 99th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.

for the first time on @NHL ice, make some noise for ville 👏💙🩵 pic.twitter.com/XxRxYBwyCm

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) April 16, 2025