Detroit Red Wings
Former Red Wings Prospect Recovers From Gruesome Injury
Saarijarvi loses part of finger while blocking shot
Tony Bennett left his heart in San Francisco, but former Detroit Red Wings prospect Vili Saarijarvi left a piece of one of his fingers in Switzerland.
It was a play that takes place in just about every hockey game. A player grabbing a puck out of the air with his gloved hand. Except when Saarijarvi did it while playing in a Swiss National League game in late January for Langnau against Bern, he immediately felt horrific pain and knew instantly something was horribly wrong.
Otäcka fyndet i handsken – visar upp skadan: ”Dött finger”https://t.co/QZe4Jzu6jP
— SVT Sport (@SVTSport) May 15, 2025
When the Finnish defenseman removed his glove, the top of his right little finger remained in the glove. It had been completely torn off.
“It was unbelievable that the finger didn’t break,” Saarijarvi told Finnish website Iltalehti. “Instead there was a bone sticking out of it.”
Saarijarvi was rushed to hospital. Surgeons reattached the finger in a bid to save the digit. Unforunately, the healing didn’t take.
“It was there for a week, but it remained dead,” Saarijarvi said. “The blood did not reach the end. Therefore, the finger had to be shortened.”
Drafted By Red Wings, Played For Griffins
Attempts have since been made to determine why Saarijarvi’s finger was severed when struck by the puck.
“We thought about it several times and we worked out theories on how it was possible,” Saarijarvi said. “We just figured out that the pressure of the stick on the finger went in one direction and the puck came from the opposite side. The edge then caused the finger to get pinched.”
Amazingly, Saarijarvi missed just five games following the amputation. He wears a brace over the damaged finger for protection during games.
He’s been taking a regular turn on Finland’s defense at the IIHF World Championship. Celebrating his 28th birthday on Wednesday, he scored his first-ever goal for the senior national team in a 9-1 rout of Slovenia.
A nice set up for Vili Saarijarvi! @leijonat 🔥#MensWorlds #IIHF pic.twitter.com/VQD2fQytIb
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 15, 2025
Selected 73rd overall by the Red Wings in the 2015 NHL entry draft, Saarijarvi, played in the OHL with the Flint Firebirds. He performed on defense for the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins in 150 games from 2017-19. Among Saarijarvi’s GR teammates were current Red Wings Moritz Seider and Michael Rasmussen.
Detroit was trading him to the Arizona Coyotes in 2019 for goalie Eric Comrie. Oddly enough, in 2023, the Coyotes dealt his NHL rights to Chicago for current Red Wings forward Patrick Kane. It was a paper transaaction to help facilitate Kane’s trade deadline move to the New York Rangers. Arizona maintained 25% of Kane’s contract so the Rangers could fit him under the salary cap.
Though he never played in the NHL, Saarijarvi has enjoyed much success on the ice. He won a World Junior gold medal with Finland, a Finnish SM-liiga title with Lukko Rauma and a Spengler Cup with Langnau. This is his second appearance in the world tourney.
He recently transferred clubs in the Swiss League. Saarijarvi will play next season for Servette Geneva.
