TPS Turku seems to be making it clear that they intend to once again be contenders in the Finnish Liiga, signing three players to contracts on Monday. Most notably, they signed veteran right winger Tomi Kallio, who returns after a 15-year absence from his hometown club.

by Leo Runsas

TURKU – TPS continue to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season. Today they announced the signings of forward Tomi Kallio and defenceman Markus Kojo. TPS also signed a contract extension with defenceman Tomas Mojzis.

Tomi Kallio is a junior product of TPS. He started in the club's youth system and played five years for the professional team before leaving for greener pastures in 2000. 

“Time has gone by quickly,” he said at the press conference to announce his signing. “When I left after we won the championship I never figured that I would be gone this long.” 

Kallio played for the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers before returning to Europe in 2003. He's spent the last 12 seasons in the SHL with Frolunda Gothenburg and the Vaxjo Lakers, winning three league titles, including this past season as the captain of Vaxjo. He had five points in six CHL games last season with Vaxjo, which tied for the club lead.

He led the SHL with 26 goals in 2005–06, and has also been a regular face on the Finnish national team, playing in the 2002 Winter Olympics and nine World Championships.

“I've enjoyed travelling around the world. I've benefited a lot from the experience and perspective I have gained over the last 15 years,” the 38-year-old winger continued. “One of the reasons why I'm coming back now, of course, is that I think I can help these promising young guys have success in the Finnish league. And of course I also try to be an example to them of what it takes to have a long career and win championships.” 

One of those young players is Kojo, a 21-year-old defenceman who started his career in Assat. He has never played in the Liiga before but has played abroad in the junior NAHL and MHL leagues. Last season he started in the American-based NAHL for the Corpus Christi IceRays, where he played nine games without recording any points. After that he moved back overseas to the Russian-based MHL and Red Bull Salzburg's junior team, where he recorded two points in 20 games.

Mojzis, 33, joined TPS early in the 2013–14 season after starting with Czech club HC Pardubice. He previously played for TPS in 2011–12. He's also played in the SHL, KHL and 17 games in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues.

Kallio’s contract lasts until the end of this season as well as Mojzis’s. Kojo’s contract lasts for two years but he will spend the first year on a loan to second-division club TUTO Turku.

TPS also announced that defenceman Jesse Dudas, who was on try-out earlier this season, will play for Hungarian club Miskolci Jegesmedve JSE in the MOL in the upcoming season. Dudas has an option with TPS for the following season.