Arttu’s arrival helps PP ascend
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
Early in training camp, the head coach of the Soo Greyhounds spoke of how Arttu Karki “has an absolute bomb for a shot.”
If he was grinning then, John Dean is smiling from ear-to-ear now.
Through 11 Ontario Hockey League games, Karki, taken seventh overall in the 2023 CHL Import Draft, has displayed a terrific rapport between stick and puck.
The 18-year-old (2004 birth year) defenceman has scored 10 times, including a league-high seven on the power play.
With the man advantage, the six-foot-two, 181-pounder can typically be found on his off wing, positioned in the right face-off circle.
If you choose to discuss his shot, you must do so very quickly. Because at the split second the puck hits his stick, a wicked one-timer is on its way to the opponent’s goal.
Having scored on 14 of 44 man-advantage opportunities, the Hounds conversion rate of 31.8 per cent is second in the 20-team loop, behind only Saginaw’s 37.0 per cent.
“I think we have the best power play in the OHL,” said Karki, a native of Viala, Finland, who was taken by the Vegas Golden Knights in the third round (No. 96 overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. “We have really-skilled guys. I give a lot of credit to my teammates for my goals. Jack Beck’s passes are insane.”
Beck, who has 14 assists this season, has helped set up all seven of Karki’s PP markers.
“Without Jack, I would have two or three power-play goals,” Karki added.
“He’s really dangerous on the power play,” said Hounds centre Bryce McConnell-Barker, whose club is getting ready for a Wednesday visit by the Flint Firebirds.
Start time at GFL Memorial Gardens is 7:07 p.m.
“He’s got a really-good, one-timer and when the puck is on his stick, he’s able to put it into the net.”
The captain could have used the word ‘consistently’ when discussing his teammate.
Karki has scored at least one goal in seven of his last eight games. He also has at least one power-play marker in five of the last six.
“It’s good to have multiple threats on the power play putting the puck in the net,” McConnell-Barker added. “And he’s doing that for us.”
Asked about his ability to shoot the puck, Karki said he developed it in his backyard in Finland, firing thousands of shots in both winter and summer.
“And it’s so much fun to shoot pucks after practice,” added Karki, who agrees his shot is “one of the best parts of my game.”
When asked, he also spoke of how he’s surprised by the total number of goals he’s scored so far.
In Season No. 6 as the Hounds head coach, Dean also spent three years as either an assistant or associate coach with the OHL’s North Bay Battalion.
Granted 11 games represents a small sample size, but has Dean ever encountered an OHL skater more dangerous than Karki on the power play?
“He’s either at the very top or close to the very top in terms of the shot he has on the power play,” the coach answered. “That puck is pretty-much a no-doubter when it gets to him (in the face-off circle).”
With four assists for 14 points overall, Karki entered Tuesday’s OHL action second in the league in scoring among defencemen. Along with his booming shot, he’s shown a high hockey IQ, strong skating and the ability to move the puck smartly.
He agrees he needs to work on his defensive game, but Dean said it’s not for a lack of ability or effort.
“When he engages away from the puck, he’s very, very difficult to beat,” the coach noted.
After being drafted by the Golden Knights, and later the Greyhounds, Karki thought coming to the Sault would be the best avenue for his development.
He talked about how happy he is here and how he has no regrets over his decision. Karki said the adjustment to being away from home has been made easier by his teammates and his billet family.
He lives with David and Marissa Balgue, and their 11-year-old son, Bryce.
“People are very kind and very friendly here,” he added, while admitting he does miss family and friends in Finland.
Dean calls him a pleasure to coach.
“He’s a great kid, articulate and confident,” the coach added. “He’s always asking about ways in which he can be better.”
Meantime, following Wednesday’s home tilt against Flint, the Soo is slated to visit Saginaw on Friday (7:05 p.m.) and Flint on Saturday (7 p.m.).
The Greyhounds are 2-0 against the Firebirds this season, winning 11-3 here and 7-3 at Dort Financial Center.
Injured centre Brady Martin (lower body) has been trending in the right direction and there’s a chance he could suit up on Wednesday. Earlier this week, Martin, taken third overall in this year’s OHL Priority Selections draft, was named a member of the Canada Red roster for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. It’s scheduled for Nov. 2-11 in Charlottetown and Summerside, P.E.I.
Dean was named head coach of Team White on Oct. 6.
