As the NHL season has concluded with the Stanley Cup returning to its previous home in South Florida, a Cape Coral, Florida-born athlete is returning to his international home of Norway. Hakon Nilsen will be departing the Savannah Ghost Pirates and heading to Norway. He has made nine appearances for their national team. Last season in the ECHL, the 27-year-old defenseman appeared in 39 games with two goals and seven assists. He would spend time with three different ECHL teams. The 6’2 right-handed shot has previously played in Norway, playing for Maglerud from 2019-2021. He also played for Stjernen Hockey during the 2021-2022 season and most recently for Ringerike during the 2022-2023 season, where he recorded 10 points in 39 games.
Hakon Nilsen’s OHL Career
Hakon Nilsen played multiple seasons in the OHL with the Flint Firebirds from 2015-2019. In 217 OHL games, he had six goals and 26 assists for 32 points. After his time in Flint was done, Nilsen made his ECHL debut with the Wichita Thunder, playing in seven games and recording his first ECHL point with an assist.
His time in Flint did have some significant adversity for him to overcome, as his father is an owner of the team. His father was suspended for five years back in 2016 when he fired the same coach twice in one season. After the first firing of the head coach, the rumors swirled that it was due to Hakon not seeing enough ice time, which Hakon himself has denied as being the case. The defenseman was reportedly one of the first players to protest the initial firing of their head coach by joining other players and turning in his jersey to his father. With all that controversy now behind him, Nilsen will now be joining Valerenga in Oslo, who play in Eliteserien, which is the top league in Norway. The league consists of ten teams and utilizes a promotion and relegation system.
Info On Valerenga
Last season in Eliteserien, Valerenga finished 4th in the regular season and lost in the semifinals in the postseason. Nilsen will now play under Norway’s former national team coach Roy Johansen. Hakon will be joining a former NHLer in Valerenga. Nick Caamano, who is also on Valerenga, has 36 games of NHL experience.
Interestingly, the two previously played together for the Flint Firebirds during the 2016-2017 season. Both players also played with NHL player Ty Dellandrea during that same season in Flint. In his season playing with both Caamano and Dellandrea, Nilsen tied his highest goal total (3). That year, the Firebirds made the playoffs, where they were eliminated in the first round. Time will tell if Nilsen will return to North American ice, but hopefully, Nilsen’s time in Norway goes well and he continues his playing career at a high level.
ITR 46: Offseason Chaos – Inside The Rink
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