Meet The Eagles, Boston College Men’s Hockey: Aapeli Räsänen

Name: Aapeli Räsänen

Number: 22

Position: Forward

Class Year: Junior

Drafted: #153 by the Edmonton Oilers in 2016

Background: Räsänen had a somewhat disappointing season last year, recording just 7 points in 33 games after picking up 16 points in 32 games as a freshman. Chances are that much of this was due to a lingering injury, as he was in a full arm cast after the season concluded. Räsänen has strong hockey sense and sees the ice well, so one would expect him to have higher numbers (particularly in assists, since he is a skilled playmaker) if fully healthy.

2019-20 Outlook: There has been some gossip about whether or not Räsänen will be able to start the season playing because of the injury that was being treated this summer. The team has made no announcements either way, so assuming he’s healthy and ready to go, fans should expect to see an improvement over last season with more confidence and smoother passing. The influx of offensive talent from the freshman class should also help to boost Räsänen’s numbers, as it gives him more dynamic players to work with.

Fun Fact: His father, Aimo, is an actor in Finland.