Kent, Wash., – The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed Utah Mammoth prospect Reko Alanko to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. Alanko was selected by Seattle in the second round of the 2026 CHL Import Draft earlier this month.

The Helsinki, Finland native played primarily with FinU20 Jokerit during the 2025-26 campaign but also spent time with Jokerit’s Liiga team. Liiga is the top tier professional league in Finland.

Thunderbirds head coach Matt O’Dette called Alanko a great fit for the team. “He is a mobile defenseman for his size and is affective at both ends of the ice. He also brings a level of physicality to his game and is very difficult to play against.”

The 6’6” defenseman was selected by Utah in the sixth round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and recently attended the Mammoth’s development camp.