Ryan Sikes 
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The 2019 LA Kings draft class is shaping up to be a good one. On Wednesday, the team officially signed defenseman Kim Nousiainen to a three-year entry-level contract.
The @LAKings have signed defenseman Kim Nousiainen to a three-year entry-level contract worth an average annual value (AAV) of 859,167. He joined the @OntarioReign (AHL) on an ATO earlier this week and his contract will go into effect for the 2022-23 season.
— LA Kings PR (@LAKingsPR) March 30, 2022
Nousiainen, 21, was selected in the fourth round in 2019 and recently served as an alternate captain this season for KalPa of Liiga, Finland’s top hockey league.
In 35 games, the Finnish D man tallied four goals, ten assists, and 22 penalty minutes.
He had a small role for Team Finland at the World Championships in Riga. Latvia last summer, tallying one goal and one assist in eight games played.
Earlier this week, we reported that Nousiainen was joining the Ontario Reign on an ATO for the remainder of the season. Now, he joins fellow LA Kings prospects David Hrenak and Andre Lee, having recently signed his first entry-level contract.
I asked Mark Yannetti last summer which "under the radar" prospect he thinks we should watch out for, or be talking about more.
He answered Kim Nousiainen. Very impressed with him and what he's done in the top league in Finland, loved his competitiveness and two-way game. https://t.co/CbkGy1u9SQ
— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) March 30, 2022