The St. Louis Blues drafted defenseman Niko Mikkola with the 127th overall pick at the 2015 NHL Draft. He previously played the Liiga’s KalPa and Tappara. He’s a native of Kiiminki, Finland.
Mikkola opted to continue his professional hockey career with the Liiga, despite the Blues reportedly showing interest in having him sign an entry-level deal in 2017. But he still had a desire to play in the NHL, so he ended up deciding to attend the Blues’ training camp ahead of the 2017-18 NHL season.