Veeti Miettinen Commits To St. Cloud State University

The St. Cloud State University Huskies have been the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for two years in a row and aren’t looking to slow down. Today they picked up another impressive commitment in Finnish forward Veeti Miettinen, according to The Rink Live. The 2020 NHL Draft-eligible prospect is expected to join the program ahead of the 2020-21 season.

Miettinen, 17, is considered an early-round candidate for next year’s draft. In their preliminary rankings, Future Considerations placed the talented Finn at No. 40, an early second-round score, but he could very well push for first-round consideration. At 5’9” and 159 lbs., Miettinen is far from a physical force, but hasn’t let his lack of stature stop him from being an offensive force. Last season, he recorded 61 points in 48 games for the Espoo Blues’ U-20 team competing in the junior Liiga. He then tacked on four points in five games at the U-18 World Junior Championships. Miettinen will be back with the Blues and the U-18 Finns again this season, but he could greatly improve his draft stock if he can also earn a look with the Liiga’s Blues and the U-20 Team Finland World Junior entry.

Once at St. Cloud, Miettinen will be joining a program that just graduated stars like Ryan Poehling, Patrick Newell, and Jimmy Schuldt, but are far from empty when it comes to talent. Defenseman Nick Perbix (TBL) and forward Sam Hentges (MIN) are among the top young contributors who will still be around when Miettinen arrives next season, with many still sure to be added to the recruiting class. With that said, St. Cloud fans should be very excited about Miettinen, who has the potential to be the next Ryan Poehling in terms of game-changing talent up front.