| Jeremi Tammela | Lukko | Liiga | R | F | 5’9″ | 185 | Ylivieska | 2003 | 2020-2021: C |
Neutral Zone NHL’s Ian Moran’s comments, June 2021: Hard nosed smaller forward who’s always involved in the action and around the puck. He’s good at creating space for himself and his linemates by rolling off contact into the open area or leading his linemates into the soft area with a touch pass . He’s in constant motion and seems to have a knack for getting lost in transition. A real fire hydrant who gets under the skin of his opponents and can draw penalties. I’m not sure if his size and style combination translates into the NHL, but he is a very entertaining player to watch.
Neutral Zone’s Ed Besinger, May 2021: Smaller, stocky center that stands 5’8’’ and 185 pounds. The Finnish right-shot center played this past season for Lukko U20 in the Finnish U20 League. He scored 32 points (16 goals) in 34 games. He also scored 10 points (five goals) in eight playoff games. He is a rugged forward that plays at a high pace and plays physical. He has quick feet and good balance and edges. He is strong and fights through pressure well. He rolls away from defenders and is tough to track down in the offensive zone below the dots. He competes hard on board battles and has some finesse to win pucks and slip by defenders. He sees the ice well and makes some slick touch plays to get the puck to teammates in space. He has a high motor and gets in on the forecheck quickly. Blocks pucks and gets in lanes. He has a good set of hands and can make plays in tight. He will need to get faster through the middle of the ice in straight lines. He is more of a pass-first player currently and knows where he is going with the puck before it gets to him.
SM-sarja U20: Lukko U20 vs Tappara U20, January 2021: Tammaela was a lightening bolt for Lukko. He was in constant motion and very difficult for Tappara’s defenders to account for. He showed nice vision and touch on his passes by often times leading his teammates into open ice with an area pass. He consistently won physical confrontations or 50/50 pucks and would use his low center of gravity to take his opponent’s hips away from them. As the puck carrier Tammela was strong, played with his eyes up and could create space for himself. He had a few high quality scoring opportunities that he shot wide.