Aku Räty
| Aku Räty | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
5 July 2001 Oulunsalo, Finland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 176 lb (80 kg; 12 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team Former teams |
Chicago Blackhawks Rockford IceHogs (AHL) Kärpät Ilves Arizona Coyotes | ||
| NHL draft |
151st overall, 2019 Arizona Coyotes | ||
| Playing career | 2019–present | ||
Aku Räty (Finnish: [ˈɑːku ˈræty]) (born 5 July 2001) is a Finnish professional ice hockey right winger for the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Arizona Coyotes selected Räty 151st overall in the 2019 NHL entry draft. On 17 April 2024, he was the last player ever to debut for the Arizona Coyotes.
Playing career
[edit]Räty developed in the Kärpät alongside his brother, Aatu, with both being considered top prospects in the Finnish ranks in their respective NHL draft years. Aku remained on the board through the first four rounds of the 2019 NHL entry draft before the Arizona Coyotes selected him in the fifth round with the 151st overall pick.
After marking marginal impacts in the top-ranked Finnish Liiga with Kärpät in his first three post-draft seasons, Räty transferred to Ilves in 2022 and subsequently enjoyed a breakout year. Räty finished second on the team with 18 goals and fifth with 42 points in 53 games during the 2022–23 Liiga season, helping Ilves qualify for the playoffs as the second seed. He added one goal in 10 playoff games as Ilves were eliminated by the Lahti Pelicans in the Liiga semifinals.
On 3 May 2023, the Coyotes signed Räty to a two-year, entry-level contract to take effect in the 2023–24 NHL season.[1] Räty's exclusive NHL draft signing rights with the Coyotes had been set to expire on 1 June 2023.[2] He made his NHL debut on 17 April, in the Coyotes' final game in Arizona, a 5–2 win over the Edmonton Oilers, during which he recorded a point.[3][4]
On 7 March 2025, Räty, along with Victor Söderström and Shea Weber, was traded by Utah to the Chicago Blackhawks.[5]
Personal life
[edit]Räty's brother, Aatu, plays for the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Career statistics
[edit]Regular season and playoffs
[edit]| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2018–19 | Kärpät | Jr. A | 52 | 19 | 26 | 45 | 28 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 2019–20 | Kärpät | Jr. A | 18 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Kärpät | Liiga | 32 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Kärpät | Jr. A | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Kärpät | Liiga | 36 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | Kärpät | Liiga | 56 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 34 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2022–23 | Ilves | Liiga | 53 | 18 | 24 | 42 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2023–24 | Tucson Roadrunners | AHL | 55 | 15 | 29 | 44 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Tucson Roadrunners | AHL | 50 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Liiga totals | 177 | 35 | 43 | 78 | 64 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | ||||
| NHL totals | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
[edit]| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Finland
| ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
 |
2021 Canada | |
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Finland | U17 | 6th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | Finland | HG18 | 7th | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2019 | Finland | U18 | 7th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2020 | Finland | WJC | 4th | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2021 | Finland | WJC | 
|
7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | |
| Junior totals | 27 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 10 | ||||
References
[edit]- ^ "Coyotes Sign Räty to Entry-Level Contract". Arizona Coyotes. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ @CraigSMorgan (3 May 2023). "Congratulations to Brock Nelson and his wife Karley who welcomed their fourth baby during training camp" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 March 2025 – via Twitter.
- ^ Ortiz, Jenna (18 April 2024). "Coyotes give fans a win in final Arizona game, fans show plenty of love". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ Birrenkott, Jaxon (18 April 2024). "Coyotes win final game in Arizona". Northeast Valley News. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "RELEASE: Blackhawks Add Aku Raty, Victor Soderstrom and Shea Weber from Utah". NHL.com. 7 March 2025. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
External links
[edit]- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
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