The town of Espoo, Finland has been very good to Penn State’s hockey program.

Defenseman Erik Autio was a mainstay on the team’s blue line throughout his NCAA career. He appeared in 138 games for the Nittany Lions, scoring eight goals and adding 50 assists, but will not return next season as he graduates from Penn State.

Although Autio’s presence on the blue line will certainly be missed, the team is going right back to Autio’s hometown to bring in two more talented players ahead of the 2018-19 season, including a member of the Autio family.

Goaltender Oskar Autio committed to Penn State in April 2017 and will join the team for the 2018-19 season once he officially signs his letter of intent. Autio, who played for the Espoo Blues’ under-20 team before joining the USHL’s Chicago Steel this season, will replace graduating senior Matt Erlichman as the team’s third goaltender on the roster.

Autio was the Chicago Steel’s first-choice goaltender for most of the 2017-18 season, posting a .903 save percentage and a 2.96 goals-against average, ranking No. 15 and No. 17 in the league, respectively. He finished tied for No. 9 in the USHL in wins, posting an 18-16-1 record this season.

While Peyton Jones will likely retain the starting job between the pipes next season, Erik Autio sees potential in his younger brother because of his unrelenting work ethic and solid positioning and technique.

“He works really hard,” he said. “He focuses on developing his game every day. He has very good technique as a goalie who’s a little bit smaller [5’11”]. I feel like he makes up for that with being in the right place in the right time.”

Erik Autio joined Penn State as the only Finnish player on the roster as a freshman ahead of the 2014-15 season. When Oskar arrives at Penn State next season, he’ll be accompanied by Aarne Talvitie, a center who hails from the same town as the Autio brothers. Talvitie led the Finnish Junior-A Liiga with 54 points, taking home the Teemu Selanne award as the league’s best player.

With Andrew Sturtz foregoing his final year of eligibility to sign a pro contract with the Ottawa Senators, Penn State has a hole at forward to fill. Guy Gadowsky thinks Talvitie — a sixth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2017 — could help fill the void left by No. 16.

“He’s had a great year,” Gadowsky said. “I know the New Jersey Devils are very excited about him. For us, he scored the most goals in his league, so if you’re looking for someone to come in and replace Andrew Sturtz, he’s a good start.”

While the center’s goal-scoring haul, 34 goals in just 41 games, is impressive, Gadowsky sees his new center as much more than just a goal-scorer because of his grittiness and thinks he can add a lot to the team.

“I think he’s a lot more than that,” he added. “He’s a tough-nosed player who’s hard to play against. We’re really excited for him not just as an Andrew Sturtz replacement, but someone that’s going to add to our program and our identity.”