Markus Granlund

Kari Markus Granlund (born 16 April 1993) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward, who is currently playing with HC Lugano of the National League (NL). After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, he elected to leave the KHL team Salavat Yulaev Ufa. He is a second-round selection of the Calgary Flames, taken 45th overall at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Granlund played two seasons in the SM-liiga for HIFK before moving to North America to join the Flames organization in 2013. His older brother Mikael plays in the NHL for the San Jose Sharks. Playing career A native of Oulu, Finland, Granlund played minor hockey in his hometown before joining Helsinki-based club HIFK's junior teams in 2009. He made his SM-liiga debut in the 2010–11 season, appearing in two games with the senior squad, but spent the majority of the year with HIFK's junior team, where he recorded 20 goals and 52 points in 40 games. The National Hockey League (NHL)'s Calgary Flames selected him with their second round pick, 45th overall, at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Granlund opted to remain in Finland for the 2011–12 season where he joined HIFK's senior team full-time and played on the same line as his brother, Mikael. Markus finished the season with 34 points in 47 games, then recorded 30 points in 50 games for HIFK in 2012–13. Granlund moved to North America following his second year in the SM-liiga as he signed a three-year contract with the Flames on 19 April 2013. He was assigned to Calgary's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat, to begin the 2013–14 season. He initially struggled to adapt to life in Canada, and while he had a clause in his contract that would allow him to return to Finland, Granlund opted to remain with the Flames organization. He earned a brief recall to Calgary in late December 2013 but did not appear in an NHL game. Granlund was the AHL's leading goal scorer among rookies with 23 at the time of his second recall in late February, and made his NHL debut on 27 February 2014, in a 2–0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. He recorded his first NHL point in his third game, an assist on 3 March against his brother's Minnesota Wild. On the same day, the AHL named him that league's rookie of the month for February. He recorded 12 points in 10 games and was a +6 over that time.