Flames renounce draft rights to Topi Rönni after prospect was given 1-year suspended sentence

VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 22: A general view of the draft floor prior to the Calgary Flames pick during the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 22, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)

Mar 12, 2024

The District Court of Helsinki sentenced former Calgary Flames prospect Topi Rönni to a one-year suspended sentence for rape committed as a young person on Tuesday, Tappara Tampere, his former club in Finland announced. Tappara, which competes in SM-liiga, the highest-tiered hockey league in Finland, terminated his contract after the sentencing.

Later Tuesday, the Flames announced that they had renounced their draft rights to Rönni.

Rönni was first charged in October over an incident in 2021 from when he was still a minor.

The 19-year-old apologized for his actions via a statement on the team website.

Calgary selected Rönni with the 59th pick of the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal. Rönni played parts of three seasons with Tappara, where he scored five goals and 11 points in 63 games.

(Top photo: Jonathan Kozub / NHLI via Getty Images)

Julian McKenzie is a staff writer for The Athletic's NHL vertical and is based in Ottawa. He also hosts The Chris Johnston Show with The Athletic's Chris Johnston. Julian's work can also be found in the New York Times, FiveThirtyEight, CTV Montreal, The Canadian Press, TSN 690, the Montreal Gazette, The Sporting News and in other publications. Follow Julian on Twitter @jkamckenzie