Juuso Parssinen had barely started his first professional season with the Milwaukee Admirals when his phone rang.
On the other end of the line was Ads General Manager and Nashville Predators Assistant GM Scott Nichol.
The Predators, off to a sluggish 5-8-1 start to their 2022-23 campaign, were searching for a jolt to their offense. Parssinen – already on a nearly point-per-game pace in Milwaukee – provided an enticing solution.
So Nichol delivered the news: the 21-year-old rookie would be boarding a plane to Nashville and joining the Predators for their upcoming Saturday evening contest against the New York Rangers.
“I could hear him smiling and laughing on the other side of the phone,” Nichol said. “He’s so stoic and he’s very mature for a younger kid. He doesn’t really show his emotions too often, and maybe that’s Finnish culture, but it was great. Those are fantastic phone calls to make…And that’s why you play the game . You play to play in the NHL, that’s where you want to be and that’s your goal, is playing the NHL.”
Welcome to the show
Hours later, Parssinen was taking a solo lap in front of a sold out Bridgestone Arena crowd, wearing a Reverse Retro sweater inspired by jerseys introduced by the club the same year he was born.
Parssinen took the opening faceoff, centering Nashville’s top line Filip Forsberg and Mikael Granlundand less than five minutes later showed everyone why he’d received Nichol’s call.
Carrying the puck through the neutral zone and powering past former No. 1 overall pick Alexis Lafrenière with speed, Parssinen found the back of the net for his first NHL goal.
Video: NYR@NSH: Parssinen gives Predators lead in 1st period
In the general manager’s box, Nichol beamed with pride.
“It’s not even for myself, but you feel very proud for our scouts, all our development guys and our coaches down in Milwaukee. [in that moment],” Nichol said. “He touches a lot of hands before he even gets to that point. And especially for your scouts, they scout these kids at 16 or 17 years old and then to see him score a goal like that – it’s very satisfying.”
While many call ups from the American League skate in mostly substitutive roles – often slotting in temporarily for injured NHL-caliber talent – Parssinen stayed up and quickly proved himself once again.
In his third NHL game, Parssinen found the back of the net twice and connected on a Filip Forsberg goal for his first career assist. 48 hours later, he collected another against Tampa Bay.
Prospect to Pro
Selected in the seventh round (210th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft – Parssinen is perhaps the latest in a long line of hidden gems and deep draft picks Nashville’s front office has cultivated into elite talent.
But for Nichol, the talent was always there.
“I think it started last year. His season [with TPS] was over, and he came over to Milwaukee and he played for us in the playoffs,” Nichol said. “We just put him right in there and we had lots of confidence in him. And I think that’s where you really saw him compete and his game was really mature for a young guy coming over.”
Parssinen concluded his brief postseason stint in Milwaukee with three points (1g-2a) in nine games, before continuing his prospect journey over the summer at Nashville’s development and rookie camps.
The young Finn returned to the Music City again for the Predators’ official Training Camp and preseason slate, but when the team left for the 2022 Global Series with an extended 27-man roster, Parssinen finished just outside the cut.
The center started his season in Milwaukee, registering nine points (2g-7a) through 10 games.
Ten games – as it turned out – would be enough for the Predators, and just six weeks after his last preseason shift, Parssinen found himself back on Nashville’s bench.
“He had a great training camp, he had a good exhibition season, he had a great rookie tournament and we just sent him down for some seasoning,” Nichol said. “Did we think he’d come up this quick? No, I didn’t think so. But he earned it. He played the same way from day one to Training Camp until he got called up. So, why keep him down? [in Milwaukee] if he’s ready, and he was ready for the call up.”
Growing Pains
In his 10th outing with the Predators, Parssinen was on Nashville’s top line again, centering veteran forwards. Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund.
As he dumped the puck into Tampa’s zone, Parssinen’s shot was tapped out of the air by Lightning forward Steven Stamkos. Seconds later, the puck was in the back of the Predators’ net to give their opponent a 4-2 lead.
“He’s put in a position where he’s playing against pretty much all the top lines, because he’s playing with top players… And [he learns that] you can’t turn the puck over against those guys because guess what? Now it’s in the back of your net,” Nichol said. “So, that was a great learning on the fly lesson for him, and then in the next game he was better.”
While Parssinen has centered Nashville’s third and fourth lines in more recent outings, his game has continued to mature as he acclimates to the demands of NHL hockey.
His faceoffs, most of which have been taken against the NHL’s top brass, have improved to 43.9 percent. And his offensive production, while quiet through much of late November and early December, picked back up as the center notched two assists against Chicago.
“He’s a player that we haven’t hidden at all,” Predators Head Coach John Hynes said. “We’ve played him against top players and he plays important minutes. And like any player, there’s mistakes along the way, but I think his positive contributions and consistency far outweigh certain mistakes that happen.”
An Identity Forward
Now 18 games into his first NHL campaign, Parssinen has seven points (3g-4a) and 24 shots while playing just under 16 minutes of total ice time per night.
For Hynes, the young center brings a consistency rarely seen among players of a similar age and experience level.
“He’s got a clear identity as a player,” Hynes said. “He’s a really big, strong, good-skating player. He’s really competitive on the puck, he’s competitive in the hard areas of the game, he’s got good offensive instincts… I think his abilities as a young player – to come into the League and play at a strong pace, make an impact on the game offensively and have the smarts and the commitment to handle the defensive responsibilities without the puck – have been strong.”
Parssinen’s offensive abilities have been well-utilized, with Hynes slotting the center into key minutes, including the power play and six-on-five units. Without the puck, Parssinen’s 6-foot-3, 212-pound frame has fit in nicely with Nashville’s heavy forechecking style of play.
“I think the big thing for young guys in this league is the speed and the strength of the players you have to play against night in and night out, and Parssinen has the engine to do it,” Hynes said. “He’s in great shape, he’s powerful, he’s strong and I think that’s allowed him to be able to use his assets and come into the NHL and have a strong impact on the team.”
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