“I hope I have nothing else but good luck left.” “I’ve never had a season like that, and I hope I never will,” Maatta said. He had a goal and eight assists when he left the lineup for good because of his shoulder. “I don’t care what age you are, that’s a difficult thing.” Maatta missed only six games. “He was in a different country, didn’t have his family here – a very, very young man dealing with a tough situation,” Rutherford said of Maatta’s cancer scare. Jordan Staal trade sent that pick to Pittsburgh. That includes Rutherford, who, as Carolina’s GM, looked closely at Maatta and was set to draft him eighth overall in 2012 before the draft-day It was a “wow” moment even for those already impressed with his poise. Maatta stood behind a podium and matter-of-factly outlined his relief that no further treatment was needed and his desire to put it behind him. A lump discovered in his thyroid gland was surgically removed and diagnosed as cancer. That, along with his strong skating, solid positioning and ability to move the puck, helped him stick with the Penguins as a 19-year-old rookie in 2013-14, when he was more than steady, with nine goals and 29 points.
This has made me a little more mature.” Maatta already seemed wise beyond his years. During his major junior career, Maatta logged 70 points (13-57-70), a plus-34 rating and 55 penalty minutes in 115 regular-season games along with 37 points, a plus-21 rating and 10 penalty minutes in 40 postseason games.“It’s kind of naive for me to try to come back, not to think about the future. Prior to turning professional, Maatta spent two seasons with the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights from 2011-13, helping the team earn two consecutive OHL titles. Maatta skated in three-straight IIHF World Junior Championships from 2011-13 and served as an alternate captain at the 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. He also made three appearances at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and captured a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where he posted five points (3-2-5) in six games. He placed fifth in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy as a 19-year-old after picking up 29 points (9-20-29), a plus-eight rating and 14 penalty minutes during the 2013-14 season.Ī native of Jyvaskyla, Finland, Maatta won a silver medal representing his country at the 2021 IIHF World Championship, notching a pair of assists in 10 games. Originally selected by the Penguins in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, he won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the team in 20. In all, Maatta has spent nine seasons between the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks and Kings since 2013-14, totaling 136 points (30-106-136), a plus-70 rating and 134 penalty minutes in 534 games, in addition to 27 points (5-22-27), a plus-28 rating and 24 penalty minutes in 85 postseason contests. Additionally, Maatta played in seven games during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the Kings clinched their first postseason berth in four years. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound blueliner also ranked among the Kings' top defensemen with 67 hits (4th) and 94 blocked shots (3rd), while logging 18:17 average time on ice. Maatta, 27, appeared in 66 games with the Los Angeles Kings during the 2021-22 season, recording eight points (1-7-8), a plus-17 rating and 10 penalty minutes.
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