Nailers add Kaskisuo

WHEELING, W.Va. - The Wheeling Nailers announced the team has signed goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo to a contract for the 2026-27 season.

Kaskisuo, 32, is entering his 12th professional season, having spent time in a variety of leagues in North America and Europe. Starting at the top in North America, he has appeared in two National Hockey League contests, as he entered the crease once each for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators. He has enjoyed his best success in the American Hockey League, as he played parts of six seasons for the Toronto Marlies, Chicago Wolves and Laval Rocket. Kaskisuo has a 53-36-13 record, a 2.68 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage and eight shutouts in 108 career AHL games. He was also the starting goalie for two playoff runs with the Marlies. In the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs, he won each of his first eight starts, helping Toronto reach the Eastern Conference Finals. One year later, Kaskisuo was selected to participate in the AHL All-Star Classic. He has also been between the pipes for 47 ECHL games with the Orlando Solar Bears, Norfolk Admirals, Bloomington Bison and Utah Grizzlies. He has a 19-18-7 career mark in the ECHL.

The Vantaa, Finland native has played three pro seasons in Europe - two with Leksands IF in the Swedish Hockey League and one with Joensuun Kiekko-Pojat in the Mestis in Finland. Kaskisuo posted the highest win total of his professional career with Leksands in 2021-22, as he was victorious 23 times, to go along with a 2.64 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. He recorded a 2.85 goals-against average in 15 matches last season in his home country.

Prior to playing professionally, the netminder played two seasons of college hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Kaskisuo went 37-29-8 with a 2.10 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage and six shutouts in 75 games with the Bulldogs.