Markus Nutivaara

Markus Nutivaara (born 6 June 1994) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently playing with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nutivaara was selected by the Blue Jackets in the 7th round (189th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career
Nutivaara made his debut in Finnland's top-division, Liiga, playing with Oulun Kärpät during the 2014–15 Liiga season. He helped win the 2015 Liiga title, making 35 appearances in regular season (no goals scored, two assists tallied) and 16 in post-season play (one goal, five assists). He also gained international experience competing in the Champions Hockey League with Kärpät, advancing to the semifinals.

In 2015–16, Nutivaara saw the ice in 50 games during the Liiga regular season, chipping in with six goals, while dishing out 16 assists. He also played in seven playoff contests, recording one goal as well as four assists. In Champions Hockey League play, Nutivaara had 13 appearances, scoring four goals and assisting on five more on the way to the championship game, where Kärpät fell short to Swedish Frölunda HC.

He put pen to paper on a two-year entry level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL) in May 2016.

International play
He made his debut with the Finnish national team at the 2015 Channel One Cup in Prague and Moscow.