As Penn State has begun to establish itself in the college hockey world, Guy Gadowsky and his staff have started to place an emphasis on international recruiting to acquire top prospects. A pair of Russians in Denis Smirnov and Nikita Pavlychev served as key contributors in the Lions run to the Big Ten Title and NCAA Tournament appearance last season.
Now, the Finnish influence on the Lions is growing stronger. Just two weeks after goaltender Oskar Autio, the younger brother of current Lion Erik, provided extra stability in goal, Aarne Talvitie gave the Lions a boost on offense.