- After moving on from his team in Switzerland to become a free agent, it looked like there was a chance that Aleksi Heponiemi could be returning to the Panthers. However, that’s not the case as he recently inked a two-year deal with HV71 in the SHL, per a team release. The 26-year-old has 25 career NHL games with Florida under his belt but after being primarily in the minors in North America, he headed overseas two years ago. This past season with EHC Biel-Bienne, Heponiemi had 18 points in 37 games. Florida will retain his rights as a restricted free agent through next summer.