The Windsor Spitfires are adding to the blue line.
The OHL club has signed Ruben Rafkin to a standard player and education package.
The 17-year-old was taken in the first round (#14 overall) in the 2019 CHL Import Draft.
He is a 6'0, 188-pound Finnish defenceman who spent the 2018-19 season with the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League (USHL), posting two goals and eight assists along with 90 penalty minutes in 38 games.
"I had pro offers in Finland and a (good) team in the USHL," says Rafkin. "But with the coaching in Windsor, the quality of kids playing there, it made the most sense for me."
Rafkin says he wants to play a big role and be a positive force, both on and off the ice, adding "I want to be a good teammate and play good hard hockey. It's a big season for me. It's my draft year, so I want the team to have a big year and if that happens, I think I will have a good year too."