Joel Blomqvist, Pittsburgh Penguins‘ number 30, was born on January 10, 2002, in Uusikaarlepyy, Finland. He worked his way up through the Finnish leagues, earned an entry-level contract, and found himself in a goaltending tandem in the NHL all within a few short years.
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Blomqvist started his time in the Finnish junior league, U16 SM-sarja primarily through the 2016-17 season. He was then bumped to the U18 squad during the 2017-18 season where he played 35 games, posting a .912 save percentage and 3.26 goals against average.
The following season saw Blomqvist continue his development as he started playing with the Oulun Kärpät in the Finnish Liiga. He played 19 games with the U18 squad, posting a .935 save percentage, as well as 11 games with the U20 squad, posting a .938 save percentage. He also was able to represent Finland in a series of international junior events.
Blomqvist continued his growth further in the 2019-20 season, earning himself a permanent spot on the U20 team, where he played 34 games. He posted an impressive 1.66 goals against average and a .931 save percentage. He also made his Liiga debut, playing two games in Finland’s top league. In early October 2020, Joel Blomqvist was drafted in the second round, 52nd overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The 2020-21 season saw Blomqvist’s numbers continue to improve in both U20 and Liiga, although both were in limited capacities due to the pandemic. He was only able to play five total games between the two squads but was able to play 16 games on loan to Hermes in the Mestis league.
Blomqvist found himself playing primarily in the Liiga for Kärpät during the 2021-22 season. In his 20 games, he recorded a .940 save percentage and 1.32 goals against average. His impressive play in the top league caught the attention of the Penguins. He was given a tryout and played a game with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), where he posted a solid 2.05 goals against average and a .926 save percentage.
He returned to Kärpät for the 2022-23 season. He played 21 games in the Liiga and posted a sustainable 2.29 goals against average and a .907 save percentage. He returned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for his second tryout in Early April 2023 and signed his entry-level contract with the Penguins organization on April 6.
The 2023-24 season was Blomqvist’s first full-time season playing with the Penguins organization. He played an impressive 45 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In his first season with the Penguins, he recorded 2.16 goals against average and a .921 save percentage. Due to his impressive season, he was selected to represent WBS in the 2024 AHL All-Star competition.
Heading into the 2024-25 season, Blomqvist was slated to continue his development in the AHL, but due to an early season injury for Alex Nedeljovic and a slow start for starting goaltender Tristan Jarry, Blomqvist was called up to the NHL. Bomqvist made his NHL debut on October 10, 2024, in Detroit against the Red Wings. He let in three goals on 32 shots for a .906 save percentage and earned his first NHL career win as the Penguins defeated the Red Wings 6-3. Head coach Mike Sullivan has stated that they are going to play whoever can get them wins, so as long as Blomqvist remains steady and sustainable, there is a solid chance he could find himself a permanent spot in the NHL.
From Liiga to the NHL in just a few years, Joel Blomqvist has proven his skill and talent. His development continues with his experience and he should become a top goaltender in the league soon enough. Catch Blomqvist and his continued growth this season and beyond.
