| Oct. 2, 2025 |
Merilainen will defend the road crease during Thursday's preseason game against the Blues, TSN 1200 Ottawa reports. - Merilainen is slated to play the full game in what will likely be his final tune-up ahead of the regular season. Once the 2025-26 campaign begins, Merilainen is expected to serve as Linus Ullmark's backup. |
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| Sept. 30, 2025 |
Merilainen will patrol the home crease against Montreal on Tuesday. - The 23-year-old netminder posted a record of 8-3-1 with three shutouts, a 1.99 GAA and a .925 save percentage in 12 regular-season appearances with Ottawa in 2024-25. Merilainen will enter the 2025-26 campaign as Linus Ullmark's backup. |
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| Sept. 23, 2025 |
Merilainen will defend the road cage versus the Leafs in Tuesday's preseason matchup, TSN 1200 Ottawa reports. - Merilainen is expected to face a fairly heavy NHL lineup from Toronto on Tuesday. While Linus Ullmark is cemented as the No. 1 in Ottawa this year, the 23-year-old Merilainen should be able to secure the backup job and play in upward of 30 regular-season games this year. In his 12 outings last season, the Finn posted an impressive 8-3-1 record to go with a 1.99 GAA and three shutouts. |
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| June 30, 2025 |
Merilainen signed a one-year, $1.05 million contract with Ottawa on Monday. - Merilainen posted a record of 8-3-1 with three shutouts, a 1.99 GAA and a .925 save percentage in 12 regular-season appearances with Ottawa in 2024-25. With Anton Forsberg poised to test the open market as an unrestricted free agent, Merilainen could begin the 2025-26 campaign as Linus Ullmark's backup. |
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| April 19, 2025 |
Merilainen was recalled from AHL Belleville on Saturday. - Merilainen will be the Senators' third goaltender in the playoffs, behind Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg. Merilainen was outstanding when called upon by Ottawa, going 8-3-1 with three shutouts, a 1.99 GAA and a .925 save percentage across 12 NHL appearances during the 2024-25 regular season. |
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| March 12, 2025 |
Merilainen was reassigned to AHL Belleville on Wednesday. - Merilainen, who was recalled Tuesday, didn't end up playing in Ottawa's 5-2 victory over Philadelphia. Anton Forsberg got the nod, stopping 20 of 22 shots, but Merilainen did dress as the backup instead of Linus Ullmark. The 31-year-old Ullmark made 48 saves in a victory over Detroit on Monday, so presumably, Ottawa wanted to give him a breather, which seems to be why Merilainen was briefly on the NHL roster. |
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| March 11, 2025 |
Merilainen was summoned from AHL Belleville on Tuesday, per Steve Lloyd of TSN 1200 Ottawa. - Prior to being recalled, Merilainen had been in the minors since Feb. 2. The Finnish netminder has been efficient over 12 appearances with the Sens this season, recording an 8-3-1 record, .925 save percentage and 1.99 GAA. Anton Forsberg will start Tuesday against the Flyers, though his 8-10-1 record, .895 save percentage and 2.82 GAA could open the door for Merilainen to earn a role in the crease behind Linus Ullmark going forward. |
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| Feb. 25, 2025 |
Merilainen was placed in the AHL's concussion protocol Monday, Steve Lloyd of TSN 1200 Ottawa reports. - Merilainen reportedly told head coach David Bell that he was fine, so it's unclear if he will be an option to face AHL Manitoba on Wednesday. While the netminder's injury won't immediately impact the Senators, it could be an issue if Linus Ullmark or Anton Forsberg gets hurt in the short term. |
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| Feb. 2, 2025 |
Merilainen was reassigned to AHL Belleville on Sunday. - Merilainen has been outstanding for Ottawa, posting an 8-3-1 record, 1.99 GAA and .925 save percentage across 12 outings this season. He earned a 16-save shutout victory over Minnesota on Saturday. However, Linus Ullmark (back) is off injured reserve, so Merilainen was sent to the minors to make room. Anton Forsberg is set to serve as Ullmark's understudy. |
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| Feb. 1, 2025 |
Merilainen will patrol the home crease versus Minnesota on Saturday, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports. - Merilainen was outstanding Sunday, stopping 34 of 35 shots in a 3-1 win over Utah. The victory gave Merilainen a 7-3-1 record to go with a 2.19 GAA and a .921 save percentage. The Wild are averaging 2.94 goals per game, 16th in the NHL. |
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| Jan. 27, 2025 |
Merilainen stopped 34 of 35 shots in Sunday's 3-1 win over Utah. - Merilainen allowed a second-period goal to Clayton Keller, one of the hottest players in the NHL over the last two weeks, but he was excellent the rest of the way. The 22-year-old has won five of his last seven starts, going 5-1-1 with a 1.69 GAA and a .940 save percentage over that span. He's expected to remain the top option between the pipes for Ottawa as long as Linus Ullmark (back) remains out. |
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| Jan. 26, 2025 |
Merilainen will protect the home net against Utah on Sunday, TSN 1200 Ottawa reports. - Merilainen will get the second half of Ottawa's back-to-back after Anton Forsberg played in Saturday's 2-1 win over Toronto. The 22-year-old Merilainen has a 6-3-1 record with two shutouts, a 2.32 GAA and a .914 save percentage through 10 NHL appearances this season. Utah sits 21st in the league with 2.88 goals per game in 2024-25. |
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| Jan. 22, 2025 |
Merilainen stopped 14 of 16 shots before being pulled in Tuesday's 5-0 loss to the Rangers. - Merilainen allowed two goals on 16 shots before he was replaced by Anton Forsberg at the 4:59 mark of the second period. This was Merilainen's first loss in regulation since Jan. 2, when he gave up four goals in a 4-2 loss to the Stars. The 22-year-old netminder has done a good job as the Senators' first-choice goaltender in recent weeks. He's gone 4-2-1 with a 2.17 GAA and a .920 save percentage across seven appearances in January, although it's worth noting that he owns the No. 1 role since Linus Ullmark remains sidelined with a back injury. |
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| Jan. 21, 2025 |
Merilainen will defend the road cage Tuesday versus the Rangers, according to TSN 1200 Ottawa. - Merilainen had his worst outing of the season Saturday, conceding five goals on 28 shots, but he still came out with a win in a high-scoring affair against Boston. The Finnish netminder has only lost twice in regulation through nine outings in 2024-25, turning in two shutouts over those appearances. The Rangers are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to Montreal on Sunday. |
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| Jan. 19, 2025 |
Merilainen turned aside 23 shots in regulation and overtime and all three shootout attempts he faced in Saturday's 6-5 win over the Bruins. - The Senators out-shot the visitors 44-28, but Merilainen allowed a career-high five goals and needed some late heroics from Josh Norris at the end of the third period just to force OT. The 22-year-old netminder redeemed himself in extra time however, denying Charlie Coyle, David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha in the shootout to secure the victory. Merilainen's time in the NHL could be coming to an end for now with Linus Ullmark (back) close to coming off IR, but he's firmly established himself as Ottawa's goalie of the future with his recent performances. Through nine NHL appearances this season, Merilainen has gone 6-2-1 with a 2.20 GAA and .917 save percentage, and with Anton Forsberg a free agent next offseason, it's possible the team will ship the veteran out and keep Merilainen around instead. |
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| Jan. 18, 2025 |
Merilainen is expected to start at home against Boston on Saturday, according to TSN 1200 Ottawa. - It will be Merilainen's fifth straight start, and it's not hard to see why Ottawa keeps going back to him. He's posted a 3-0-1 record, 0.74 GAA and .971 save percentage over that stretch, which gives him a 5-2-1 record with a 1.84 GAA and a .930 save percentage in eight outings this season. If Merilainen keeps playing like this, he might stick with the NHL squad even after Linus Ullmark (back) returns. The Bruins rank 26th in goals per game with 2.65. |
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| Jan. 16, 2025 |
Merilainen will tend the twine for Thursday's home matchup with Washington, Graeme Nichols of The Hockey News reports. - Merilainen will make his fourth consecutive start after posting an impressive 3-0-0 record, 0.67 GAA and two shutouts in his previous three tilts. With the 22-year-old backstop going Thursday, the team could decide to give Anton Forsberg the first game of a back-to-back against the Bruins on Saturday while saving Merilainen to face New Jersey on Sunday. Either way, Merilainen should continue to see plenty of starts moving forward given his strong level of play. |
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| Jan. 15, 2025 |
Merilainen made 24 saves in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Islanders. - All of a sudden, the 22-year-old rookie might be the hottest goalie in the NHL. Merilainen has started three straight games and won all three, with two of those outings producing his first two career shutouts. In seven outings since he was called up in mid-December, he's gone 5-2-0 with a 1.98 GAA and .925 save percentage, and the Senators appear willing to give him a shot at taking the No. 1 job away from Anton Forsberg. There's no timeline yet for Linus Ullmark (back) to make his return from IR, but the Sens could have a dilemma on their hands when he does -- or an opportunity to trade one of their veteran netminders -- if Merilainen is still surging. |
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| Jan. 14, 2025 |
Merilainen will defend the road cage Tuesday versus the Islanders, according to TSN 1200 Ottawa. - After conceding four goals in a loss to Dallas in his first start in January, Merilainen has won back-to-back games, including a 29-save shutout over Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Islanders are tied for 26th in the league with 2.67 goals per game, but they've played better recently, having gone 3-0-0 on their most recent road trip. |
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| Jan. 12, 2025 |
Merilainen made 29 saves in Saturday's 5-0 win over the Penguins. - Ottawa scored three times in the first period, so the only real suspense in the game came from whether Merilainen would be able to secure his first NHL shutout. The 22-year-old has played well overall since making his season debut in late December, going 3-2-0 in five outings with a 2.42 GAA and .911 save percentage. With Linus Ullmark (back) still lacking a timeline for his return, Merilainen should continue splitting the workload in the crease with Anton Forsberg for the Senators. |
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| Jan. 11, 2025 |
Merilainen will guard the road goal versus the Penguins on Saturday, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. - Merilainen has allowed 11 goals on 95 shots en route to a 2-2-0 record in four NHL appearances this season. He surrendered four goals on 25 shots to Dallas on Jan. 2 in a 4-2 loss during his last outing. Pittsburgh ranks 14th in the league with 3.07 goals per game in 2024-25. |
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| Jan. 2, 2025 |
Merilainen will tend the twine for Thursday's road game against Dallas, TSN 1200 Ottawa reports. - Merilainen has been inconsistent over his last few appearances, going 2-1-0 with a 2.68 GAA and .900 save percentage across his last three outings. Although he'll draw the start for the third time in the Senators' last five games, head coach Travis Green said that Anton Forsberg (lower body) will dress as the backup for Thursday's matchup, so Merilainen's opportunities will likely decrease soon. |
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| Dec. 30, 2024 |
Merilainen stopped 30 of 31 shots in Sunday's 3-1 win over Minnesota. - Merilainen has made three appearances this season and has posted a solid 2-1-0 record while giving up two of fewer goals in two of those outings. His save percentage isn't very high since he posted a figure below the .860 mark in his first two outings, though, so the sample is too small to assess what he might bring to the table. However, this was certainly an improved effort compared to his previous two outings. Merilainen figures to be in the NHL until at least one of Linus Ullmark (upper body) or Anton Forsberg (lower body) is able to return to action. |
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| Dec. 29, 2024 |
Merilainen is set to start on the road against Minnesota on Sunday, per TSN 1200 Ottawa. - Merilainen stopped 12 of 14 shots in 36:39 of ice time last Sunday and was charged for the loss in the 3-1 defeat to Edmonton. He also has turned aside 21 of 25 shots in a 5-4 overtime victory over Vancouver this campaign. The Wild have an impressive 22-10-4 record, though they are middling in terms of goals per game, tying for 20th with 2.94. |
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| Dec. 27, 2024 |
Merilainen was called up from AHL Belleville on Friday. - Merilainen has started the last two games, as Linus Ullmark (back) and Anton Forsberg (undisclosed) have both been out of action. Merilainen is 1-1-0 this season, allowing six goals on 39 shots. He could get another start in Winnipeg on Saturday if Ullmark and Forsberg are both unable to go. |
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| Dec. 23, 2024 |
Merilainen was loaned to AHL Belleville on Monday. - Merilainen entered Sunday's game against the Oilers at the start of the second period after Linus Ullmark (upper body) exited the matchup. Merilainen took the loss in the relief appearance and will head to the minors ahead of the NHL's Christmas break, which could signal that Ullmark or Anton Forsberg (undisclosed) could return to action following the layoff. |
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| Dec. 22, 2024 |
Merilainen stopped 12 of 14 shots in relief of Linus Ullmark (upper body) in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Oilers. - The Senators tied the game at 1-1 early in the second period, but Merilainen gave up goals to Zach Hyman and Adam Henrique en route to taking the loss in his relief appearance. With due respect to the 22-year-old Merilainen, Ullmark's injury has put the Senators' goaltending depth in a worst-case scenario -- Anton Forsberg (undisclosed) is also out, and the team is on its longest road trip of the season. Merilianen has given up six goals on 39 shots across his two appearances. If both Ullmark and Forsberg are unavailable when the Senators' schedule resumes Saturday in Winnipeg, Merilainen would temporarily take over as the No. 1 goalie, and Mads Sogaard would likely rise to the NHL to fill the backup role. |
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| Dec. 21, 2024 |
Merilainen will guard the road net Saturday against the Canucks, TSN 1200 Ottawa reports. - It'll be the first start of the year for Merilainen. The 22-year-old netminder last appeared in the NHL in 2022, when he went 0-1-1 while stopping 43 of 49 shots across two games. Merilainen will be tasked with facing a Vancouver team that's averaging 3.09 goals per game this season. |
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| Dec. 15, 2024 |
Merilainen was recalled from AHL Belleville on Sunday. - Merilainen will accompany Ottawa on the team's four-game road trip before the holiday break. Anton Forsberg (undisclosed) didn't make his scheduled start against Pittsburgh on Saturday after suffering an injury while warming up for the game. With Forsberg staying behind for the trip, Linus Ullmark will likely see an increased workload. |
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| Oct. 25, 2024 |
Merilainen was sent down to AHL Belleville on Friday. - Merilainen was recalled Tuesday to back up Anton Forsberg as Linus Ullmark (strain) was unable to play. Merilaninen was 2-1-0 with a 3.47 GAA and an .852 save percentage with Belleville this season, before his recall. |
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| Oct. 22, 2024 |
Merilainen was recalled from AHL Belleville on Tuesday to serve as the backup against Utah, TSN 1200 Ottawa reports. - Merilainen's promotion comes as Anton Forsberg was confirmed as the starter Tuesday while Linus Ullmark (strain) remains on the shelf. With the team calling Ullmark day-to-day and no back-to-backs on the short-term schedule, Merilainen is unlikely to see any starts while up in the NHL. |
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| Sept. 29, 2024 |
Merilainen (groin) will be in the lineup for Sunday's preseason contest against Pittsburgh. - Merilainen had been unable to practice for most of training camp after injuring his groin during Ottawa's rookie camp. However, he could get his first game action of the preseason in Sunday's matchup. Merilainen will probably begin the 2024-25 campaign with AHL Belleville. |
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| Sept. 24, 2024 |
Merilainen has not participated in training camp yet due to a groin injury that occurred during rookie camp, per TSN 1200 Ottawa. - Merilainen was expected to compete with Mads Sogaard for the No. 1 goaltending gig with AHL Belleville, but it's unclear when the former will be ready to return. Merilainen appeared in two NHL contests with Ottawa during the 2022-23 campaign, going 0-1-1 with an .878 save percentage and a 4.23 GAA. The 22-year-old was a third-round selection by Ottawa in the 2020 NHL Draft. |
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| Sept. 19, 2024 |
Merilainen is dealing with a groin injury that isn't expected to be serious, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports. - It's unclear when Merilainen suffered the injury, but it doesn't look to be a long-term concern. The 22-year-old goalie is likely to spend much of this season at AHL Belleville as a No. 3 option in goal for the Senators' organization. Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg are likely to get the bulk of the NHL starts. |
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| March 2, 2024 |
Merilainen was recalled from AHL Belleville on Saturday. - Joonas Korpisalo was unable to start Friday due to an illness. Merilainen is 7-6-1 with a 3.02 GAA and a .904 save percentage in 16 AHL appearances this season. The Senators are quite high on the 20-year-old Finnish netminder after selecting him in the third round of the 2020 Draft. |
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| April 7, 2023 |
Merilainen stopped nine of 12 shots before being replaced by Mads Sogaard early in the second period of Thursday's 7-2 loss to the Panthers. - It was a rough second appearance in the NHL for Merilainen, although Sogaard didn't fare any better in his place. With the Senators now officially eliminated from the playoffs, the two young netminders -- Sogaard is 22, while Merilainen is only 20 -- could see the bulk of the work between the pipes for the remainder of the schedule instead of 35-year-old Cam Talbot. |
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| April 6, 2023 |
Merilainen will be between the visiting pipes in Florida on Thursday, Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen reports. - Merilainen made his NHL debut Tuesday in a 3-2 overtime loss to Carolina, stopping 34 shots. The Senators are on the verge of elimination in the Eastern Conference and are looking towards the future by playing Merilainen against the Panthers. Florida is fifth in NHL scoring, averaging 3.49 goals per game. |
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| April 5, 2023 |
Merilainen stopped 34 of 37 shots in the Senators' 3-2 overtime loss to the Hurricanes on Tuesday. - In his NHL debut, Merilainen started off shaky, allowing two goals in the first period. He would settle in the rest of the game before allowing the eventual game-winner in overtime. The Finnish netminder should remain the backup to Cam Talbot until Mads Sogaard is ready to return. |
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| April 4, 2023 |
Merilainen was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, TSN 1200 Ottawa reports, indicating he will start in Carolina on Tuesday. - Merilainen is poised to make his NHL debut after being called up from the minors Sunday. He posted a 41-save shutout win against Toronto in his AHL debut with Belleville on Saturday. Merilainen spent the first part of the year playing in Finland with Karpat. |
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