Markus Granlund Finnish hockey player Date of Birth: 16.04.1993 Country: Finland

1. Early Life and Childhood
2. Junior and Early Career
3. NHL Career
4. Move to the KHL
5. Personal Life
6. International Career

Early Life and Childhood

Marcus Granlund was born on April 16, 1993, in Oulu, Finland, and grew up with his older brother, Mikael. The brothers shared a passion for hockey and soccer, often playing together during their childhood. Their sibling rivalry became a driving force in their future hockey careers. Even now, Marcus and Mikael remain close, discussing personal matters rather than hockey when they talk.

Junior and Early Career

At the age of 16, Marcus moved to Helsinki to join the HIFK junior team, where he spent the first two years of his career. He was later drafted by the Calgary Flames of the NHL. Marcus remained in Finland for two more seasons, playing for HIFK's main squad alongside his brother.

NHL Career

In 2013, Granlund signed a three-year contract with the Calgary Flames and played for their farm team, the Abbotsford Heat. He made his NHL debut in early 2014, and in his third game, he faced off against his brother, who was playing for the Minnesota Wild. After that game, the NHL named Marcus the Rookie of the Month. Following his contract with the Flames, Marcus moved to the Vancouver Canucks. He signed a one-year contract worth $1.5 million in 2018, but the team did not offer him a new deal after the 2018/2019 season. The following year, Granlund became part of the Edmonton Oilers. However, his performance there was underwhelming, and he was sent to the Bakersfield Condors farm team. The season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Move to the KHL

In 2020, Granlund signed a two-year contract with the Russian club Salavat Yulaev Ufa and relocated to Ufa. His annual salary was reported to be 70 million rubles. Marcus explained that after a challenging season in Canada, he was eager to start a new chapter in his career. He didn't have high expectations for the KHL, but he was pleased with the experience. Fellow Finns Teemu Hartikainen, Sakari Manninen, and Juha Metsola, as well as coach Tomi Lämsä, helped him adjust to the team and the new country.

Personal Life

Marcus Granlund is active on Instagram, where he shares photos of his daily life and leisure activities. Outside of hockey, he enjoys traveling with friends and engaging in various sports, including soccer, baseball, basketball, and golf. He is particularly passionate about fishing, which he often pursues in Bashkortostan. Marcus stands at 183 cm and weighs 82 kg.

International Career

In 2022, Marcus was invited to join the Finnish national team for the Beijing Olympics. He had previously played for the junior and youth teams, with his best result being a third-place finish at the 2010 World Junior Championship. Granlund confessed that he had not pondered the reasons for his exclusion from the national team earlier in his career. However, as an adult, he had always dreamed of representing Finland at the Olympics. In the quarterfinals of the 2022 Olympics, Finland defeated Switzerland 5:1. They then beat Slovakia 2:0 in the semifinals and went on to defeat Russia 2:1 in the final, claiming the gold medal. In six games, Granlund recorded one assist, 12 shots on goal, 25 penalty minutes, and a plus/minus rating of +6.