Oliver Suvanto scored his first goal of the 2026-27 season for Tappara, and it came on a special day – his 18th birthday.
Suvanto, playing for one of the top teams in Finland’s Liiga, potted the marker in Champions Hockey League action against Czech club Bílí Tygři Liberec on Thursday. The goal was Tappara’s fourth in a 6-3 win, and Suvanto additionally picked up an assist to record two total points.
The Washington Capitals‘ first-round pick from last June’s 2026 NHL Draft got on the board 6:09 into the third period. Suvanto was the beneficiary of a slick passing play from teammates Kasper Simontaival and Benjamin Rautiainen, ultimately backhanding the puck into a wide-open net after the opposing netminder was dragged out of position.
Suvanto, selected 18th overall by Washington, signed his three-year, entry-level contract with the Capitals in July. The Caps then loaned the Finnish center back to Tappara, where he will spend the 2026-27 campaign. He has now played two games this season, going without a point in his first Liiga contest and then notching two on Thursday.
The 6-foot-3, 213-pound pivot played the majority of his 2025-26 season (48 games) with Tappara against men. He recorded 11 points (2g, 9a) in those games, the top mark from any under-18 player. At the most recent World Juniors, he was named one of Finland’s top three players after posting two goals in seven games.
Suvanto was one of the youngest draft-eligible players in his class and was the third-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting. He attended his first development camp for the Capitals this summer.
