Penn State junior forward Aarne Talvitie will forgo his senior season with the Nittany Lions after agreeing to terms on a two-year, entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils on Thursday morning.
Talvitie’s deal is set to begin with the 2021-22 season. He has signed an AHL contract for the remainder of the 2020-21 season and will report to Binghamton once his quarantine period is complete.
“Aarne has been a great student, a great player, and a great leader for us these past three seasons,” Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky said in a statement. “We will greatly miss him as a person and for his example of quality toughness. We are proud that he is a Penn Stater and look forward to seeing all his success with the Devils.”
Originally drafted by the Devils in the sixth round (160th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft, the Espoo, Finland native served as an alternate captain this past season appearing in 21 games and finished fourth on the team with seven goals while adding six assists for 13 points.
In his career, Talvitie appeared in 68 games, scoring 18 goals with 30 assists for 48 points.
“My time at Penn State was more than I could’ve ever hoped for,” Talvitie said. “The experiences I had will last a lifetime and I’m so glad that I chose to be a Nittany Lion. All the support from the staff, my teammates and the whole Penn State community has helped me to take this next step in my career. I’m sad to leave Penn State behind but I know that I have learned how to be a better player and a better person.
I’m honored to say that I will always be part of the Penn State family. We are.”
