[Article] Olli Juolevi Leaves SHL Club

[RWJC]

Olli Juolevi Leaves SHL Club

 

November 11th, 2023 at 9:04am CST • By Josh Cybulski

 

Former Vancouver Canucks fifth overall pick Olli Juolevi has left his club team and is on the move again after signing in Sweden this offseason with Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League. Juolevi had a PTO with the Arizona Coyotes earlier this year but failed to land an NHL contract and eventually left North America.

 

Timrå IK announced Juolevi’s departure and thanked the defenseman for his contributions to the team. It is unclear at this time if the team initiated a release for the 25-year-old or if Juolevi made the request. Timrå IK does have several players returning from injury in the coming weeks so it could be an issue with a lack of playing time for the former Canucks rearguard.

 

Vancouver selected Juolevi back in 2016 one pick before 2023 Hart Memorial Trophy finalist Matthew Tkachuk. While calling that a misfire would be an understatement, especially given that the Canucks knew that the Calgary Flames would take Tkachuk and could have traded down to draft Juolevi. It should be noted that Juolevi sustained back and hip injuries as well as a knee injury that would require surgery. These significant ailments ultimately hampered Juolevi’s skating mobility before he even played a single NHL game. Juolevi would go on to suit up in 23 NHL games for the Canucks registering two goals and an assist before bouncing around to the Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings, all the while dressing in both AHL and NHL games.

 

So far this season, Juolevi had a single assist in nine games with Timrå IK while going -6. The SHL team is a way out of contention sitting ninth in the league with seven wins in their first 16 games. There is no word yet on what is next for Juolevi, as he attempts to resurrect his career that showed so much promise less than a decade ago.

 

https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2023/11/olli-juolevi-leaves-shl-club.html#ref=home

Edited November 11, 2023 by RWJC

[Kevin Biestra]

Jeez...maybe if the Vancouver Voodoo get started again he can play roller hockey with Tiger Williams.

[Smashian Kassian]

Poor kid. He really did have alot of NHL attributes then injuries destroyed his skating ability. In key developmental years he was missing so much time.

 

Its not his fault he was taken where he was. 

[Guntrix]

I don't agree that his injuries impeded an otherwise pro NHL career. Not when he can't even make it at Timra.

 

Guy's not good enough. Another L for Drafter Jim. 

[Canuck You]

He needs a break..

 

[gwarrior]

Man, did his career ever go sideways.

[Locke Lamora]

I was there. The murmurs of derision in the arena and Myers motioning for OJ to get up is something I won’t soon forget. It was just so obvious, at that moment, that he was done as a Canuck. Bad luck with injuries or not, to me OJ never seemed to have the necessary fire burning inside to become the best player he could be. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jeremy Hronek]

1 hour ago, Guntrix said:

I don't agree that his injuries impeded an otherwise pro NHL career. Not when he can't even make it at Timra.

 

Guy's not good enough. Another L for Drafter Jim. 

 

Benning may have royally screwed up with Juolevi and Virtanen, but let's not forget about guys like McCann, Demko, and Hoglander.  Jury is still out on Podkolzin, but still.   

 

Back to the topic, I wish Juolevi nothing but the best.  Shame that injuries seems to have derailed him to the point of no return.  

[112]

I remember getting trashed back on CDC for saying he was not an NHLer. 112 proven right again.

[Riddikulus]

The guy went from being a plus skater to one of the worst because of repeated leg injuries. Of course it was a big loss for us but I genuinely feel bad for the kid. People see the guy sprawled out in that one photo and their immediate thought is that he is a lazy, good for nothing lout. When in reality he had lost basically all mobility that he had and was trying to keep up with NHL skaters. We have just had some horrible injury luck for our prosects, Hodgson getting diagnosed with a rare disease, Yann Sauve getting hit by a car, you can't even make this stuff up.

[Guntrix]

47 minutes ago, Riddikulus said:

The guy went from being a plus skater to one of the worst because of repeated leg injuries. Of course it was a big loss for us but I genuinely feel bad for the kid. People see the guy sprawled out in that one photo and their immediate thought is that he is a lazy, good for nothing lout. When in reality he had lost basically all mobility that he had and was trying to keep up with NHL skaters. We have just had some horrible injury luck for our prosects, Hodgson getting diagnosed with a rare disease, Yann Sauve getting hit by a car, you can't even make this stuff up.

One of Juolevi’s biggest red flags at the time was the concern that he was being inflated by sharing a lot of ice time with a very dominant Tkachuk, Marner and Dvorak line. 
 

It appears that concern was right on the mark and Juolevi was being overrated. I don’t think it’s only mobility-related.

[Silent Man]

1 hour ago, Riddikulus said:

The guy went from being a plus skater to one of the worst because of repeated leg injuries. Of course it was a big loss for us but I genuinely feel bad for the kid. People see the guy sprawled out in that one photo and their immediate thought is that he is a lazy, good for nothing lout. When in reality he had lost basically all mobility that he had and was trying to keep up with NHL skaters. We have just had some horrible injury luck for our prosects, Hodgson getting diagnosed with a rare disease, Yann Sauve getting hit by a car, you can't even make this stuff up.

Luc Bourdon, RIP. 21 years old, 10th overall, if I remember correctly

[higgyfan]

That was a pretty bad draft year, with lots of busty types in the 1st round.  In retrospect, Olli turned out

to be a bad choice; especially looking at some of the players that followed him in the draft.  I doubt

JB would have selected Tketchup (pretty sure he was considered a 'character issue'), which is fine

as he would have done the same to Van as he did with Cal. 

 

Can you imagine our team with Serg or McAv... No, best not to go there.

[Snoop Hogg]

5 hours ago, Kevin Biestra said:

Jeez...maybe if the Vancouver Voodoo get started again he can play roller hockey with Tiger Williams.

It would be worth it, just to see those jerseys again.

[Smashian Kassian]

2 hours ago, Guntrix said:

One of Juolevi’s biggest red flags at the time was the concern that he was being inflated by sharing a lot of ice time with a very dominant Tkachuk, Marner and Dvorak line. 
 

It appears that concern was right on the mark and Juolevi was being overrated. I don’t think it’s only mobility-related.

 

When he went to the World Juniors he proved himself as an individual player. His poise, puck skills & skating ability starred, he was a draft eligible playing as good as any Dman in the tournament, and in the biggest games too.

 

I don't think they really inflated him, he wasn't piling up points even with them as he wasn't a flashy OFD who could be inflated, he was just a smart but vanilla Dman with plus skating/size/skill. 

 

[Smashian Kassian]

 

Look at this play he makes at 9:25. Never saw him move like that in Vancouver.

 

I remember this as a phenomenal game, up there with the 2010 WJ final as the best back & forth games I've seen. And how many good players were in that game too;

 

Canada; Marner, D.Strome, Point, Chabot, Konecny, Sanheim, Beauvillier, Crouse, even our boy Jake. Blackwood in goal.

 

Finland; Aho, Laine, Rantanen, Hintz, Kapanen, Puljujarvi, our boy Olli. Kahkonen in goal.

 

That could be one of Finland's best teams ever. Rantanen, Hintz & Kapanen on a 2nd line is pretty good.