Santeri Hatakka
Santeri Hatakka | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 15, 2001 Riihimäki, Finland |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey defenseman |
| Years active | 2019–present |
| Known for | Playing for HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), former NHL player for San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils |
Santeri Hatakka (born 15 January 2001) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenseman currently signed with HV71 competing in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
Playing career
Hatakka rose through the ranks of the Jokerit organization, where he held the role of an alternate captain for their under-20 squad during the 2018–19 season. He was chosen 184th overall in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL entry draft by the San Jose Sharks.
His professional debut came in the 2019–20 season, during which he split his time between Ilves in Finland’s top-tier Liiga and their affiliate team Koovee, accumulating three points over 28 games in Liiga.
On 12 May 2021, Hatakka inked a three-year entry-level contract with the Sharks. He made his first NHL appearance on 30 October 2021 and notched his inaugural NHL point, an assist, on 9 November.
Throughout the 2022–23 campaign, Hatakka’s participation was limited to eight AHL games due to a significant upper-body injury. On 26 February 2023, he was included in a multi-player trade to the New Jersey Devils involving Timo Meier. Following injuries within New Jersey’s defensive roster, Hatakka was called up on 18 January 2024 and made his Devils debut on 22 January.
After spending two seasons within the Devils organization, Hatakka returned to European professional hockey by signing a two-year deal with SHL team HV71 on 29 April 2025.
International play
Hatakka has represented Finland at multiple youth levels including under-16, under-17, under-18, and under-20. He participated in semifinal rounds at both the 2020 and 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. During the 2021 tournament, he wore an alternate captain’s "A" and contributed to Finland securing a bronze medal. Over his two World Junior appearances, he totaled three points across 14 games.
Personal life
Hatakka’s older sister is professional soccer player Sanni Franssi.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2017–18 | Jokerit | U20 SM-liiga | 46 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Jokerit | U20 SM-liiga | 43 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Ilves | Liiga | 28 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Koovee | Mestis | 15 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Ilves | Liiga | 44 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 34 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | San Jose Barracuda | AHL | 41 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | San Jose Barracuda | AHL | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Utica Comets | AHL | 48 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Utica Comets | AHL | 19 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 21 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Tournament | Placement | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Finland U17 | World U-17 Hockey Challenge | 6th place | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2019 IIHF World U18 Championships | Finland U18 | IIHF World U18 Championship | 7th place | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships | Finland U20 | IIHF World U20 Championship | 4th place | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships | Finland U20 | WJC | Template:Bronze3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Aggregate junior statistics | 24 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | |||