Juuso Välimäki Assigned to Tucson After Clearing Waivers

Tucson, AZ – The Utah Mammoth announced today that defenseman Juuso Välimäki has cleared waivers and been assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners, the organization’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.

Välimäki, 27, has yet to appear in a game this season while recovering from an injury sustained in late February in his lone game with the Roadrunners in 2024–25.

He had five points (2g, 3a) in 43 games with Utah last season, along with a minus-5 rating, 14 penalty minutes (PIM), and an average ice time of 16:33.

The Tampere, Finland native is in his fourth season with the organization after being claimed off waivers by the Coyotes from the Calgary Flames on Oct. 9, 2022. 

He enjoyed a career-best campaign that season, setting personal highs in scoring, games played, and penalty minutes with 34 points (4g, 30a), 59 penalty minutes, and 12 power-play points in 78 games. 

In 2023–24, he registered 17 points (2g, 15a), a plus-12 rating, and 12 PIM in 68 games.

The 6-foot-2, 201-pound defenseman was originally selected by Calgary in the first round (16th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft and spent his first three NHL seasons with the Flames. 

Välimäki made his NHL debut on Oct. 3, 2018, against the Vancouver Canucks and recorded his first NHL goal in a 5-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Oct. 17. 

On the international stage, he captained Finland at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship and was selected to Team Finland’s roster for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.

Välimäki has appeared in two career Stanley Cup Playoff games, recording one point during Calgary’s first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche in 2019.

Across six NHL seasons with Utah (2024–25), Arizona (2022–23) and Calgary (2018–2022), Välimäki has tallied 72 points (11g, 61a),  with 133 PIM in 271 games.

The left-shot defenseman has spent limited time in the AHL, playing one game for Tucson last year and two partial seasons (2018-19 and 2021-22) with the Stockton Heat while in Calgary’s organization.

In 56 career AHL games, he has totaled 32 points (6g, 26a), a plus-10 rating, and 46 penalty minutes.