The Kasper Bjorkqvist era in Pittsburgh has come to a close.
The team Karpat of the top Finnish league announced on Tuesday that they signed Bjorkqvist to a two-year contract that begins next season.
Bjorkqvist, 24, was a restricted free agent with the Penguins this offseason. The Penguins still have the option to extend Bjorkqvist a qualifying offer, which would allow them to retain Bjorkqvist's North American rights until he reaches age 27, in the event that he does elect to come back to North America before then.
For now, Bjorkqvist sounds excited about the opportunity he now has in Finland.
"I’ve been watching (Karpat) assemble the team and I’m really excited to be a part of it," Bjorkqvist said in a Finnish team release. "I’ve talked to coaches and club leadership, and it’s been great to hear what values and goals guide the team’s operations. Athleticism and the tradition of winning put a lot of emphasis on their decision-making."
The 2021-22 season really was Bjorkqvist's first season in North America. His rookie 2019-20 season ended after he tore his ACL six games into the season, and he spent the 2020-21 season in Finland due to COVID's impact on the season, only coming to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for a five-game stint after his Finnish team's season ended.
Bjorkqvist played 54 games in Wilkes-Barre this season, scoring eight goals and four assists in a bottom-six role.
"I am not happy with my time in the AHL," Bjorkqvist said in the Karpat team release. "Even though I was able to do things that made me promoted to the NHL, my game was still not as good there as I would have liked. I feel like I’m a more versatile player than I was there."
Bjorkqvist, who was the Penguins' second-round pick in 2016, made his NHL debut in January and scored in the first period. It was his only point in six NHL games:
"The big dream of getting to play in the NHL came true, and I was also lucky enough to score," Bjorkqvist told Karpat. "At the individual level, those moments are the finest that I've experienced with hockey."
Bjorkqvist is joining a Karpat team that ranked sixth in the league last season and was eliminated in Game 7 overtime in the first round of the Liiga playoffs. Penguins goaltending prospect Joel Blomqvist is expected to take over as Karpat's No. 1 goaltender after serving as backup last season.
