Get To Know The Utah Hockey Club: Who is Olli Maatta?

Nov 12, 2024, 3:19 PM

KSL Sports

SALT LAKE CITY –With the Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural season now underway, it’s the perfect time for fans to continue familiarizing themselves with the roster to better understand who is suiting up for the team on a nightly basis and what to expect from Olli Maatta as the season continues.

Next up, recently acquired veteran defenseman Olli Maata is the next player profile to help fans get to know the Utah Hockey Club roster.

Utah’s Olli Maatta

Maatta is a 30-year-old defenseman from Jyväskylä, Finland. A 12-year NHL veteran, Maatta was originally selected 22nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2012 draft. After spending 6 seasons with the Penguins, he also played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings and Detroit Red Wings.

Before being traded to Utah a few weeks ago, Maatta has constructed a well-respected reputation with two Stanley Cups, a bronze medal for Team Finland during the 2014 Sochi Olympics and a silver medal during the World Championships in 2021.

After bouncing around the league a bit over the last few years, Maatta was brought in to provide a veteran presence on Utah’s blue line amidst several key injuries.

Junior Career

Maatta began his junior hockey career for his home-town team’s under-16 program JYP. After several years in the organization and multiple promotions to older age groups, Maatta was named to Finland’s National U16 and U18 squads. He was also the youngest player ever to play for Finland’s World Junior team at the 2011 tournament.

Following so many junior accomplishments, Maatta was drafted 85th overall by SKA Saint Petersburg in the 2011 KHL Draft and then first overall by the London Knights in the 2011 CHL Import Draft just two months later. Following both draft selections, Maatta ultimately elected to accept the Knights invitation and play major junior in the Ontario Hockey League.

In his first season for the London Knights, Maatta impressed with 32 points and a +25 plus-minus rating in 58 appearances. He also led the Knights in scoring with 23 points in 19 games during the playoffs and ultimately helped the team win the J. Ross Robertson Cup.

Following the season, Maatta was then drafted 22nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins and signed an entry-level contract with the squad following camp. He would then return to London for another Junior season, once again helping lead the Knights to their second-straight J. Ross Robertson Cup after rallying back from a 3-1 series deficit with three straight wins in the cup final.

Professional Career

After stellar back-to-back seasons in the OHL, Maatta finally received his chance in the NHL and made the Penguins roster ahead of the 2013-14 campaign. Despite several injuries early on his career, Maatta quickly acclimated to the NHL and became a solid addition to Pittsburgh’s blue line.

With his shot-blocking ability, high hockey IQ, calmness and well-balanced overall skillset, Maatta helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.

After spending six seasons with the Penguins and over 350 appearances, Maatta was then traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018. Since then, Maatta played for the Los Angeles Kings and Detroit Red Wings before being traded to Utah a few weeks ago.

Olli Maata on being traded and playing tonight: “I think the moment I came in here, guys welcomed me really good. I can see this organization is a great one. There’s a great thing going on here, the group of guys we got. It just feels right.”#UtahHC pic.twitter.com/auy6Ek4smo

— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 31, 2024

With so much experience in the NHL, Maatta was acquired for all the reasons that have helped him remain in the league for more than a decade. He’s not a flashy player by any means but he’s reliable, balanced, smart, is willing to throw himself in front of shots, deliver hits and confidently man the blue line.

While the team was interested in trading for him during the offseason, management waited for the right moment to acquire him. In five games with the club, Maatta has been a great addition and was recently elevated to Utah’s top defensive pairing with Mikhail Sergachev.

“I honestly think he’s one of the top D men in this league. I think he’s strong, a very good skater, understands the game well. Obviously plays huge minutes for us…I don’t know if there’s many of those guys in this league.” -Olli Maatta on Sergachev

📸 Getty Images#UtahHC pic.twitter.com/7adxLbBaET

— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) November 12, 2024

Utah Hockey Schedule

The Utah Hockey Club will now return home and begin a three-game homestand against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night. The game can be viewed on SEG+. Fans can also tune in on air on the KSL Sports APP or on 97.5 and 1280 The Zone. Click here for the full schedule.