- Luca Santala signed an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the London Knights
- The 6-foot-2 forward ranks 12th among 2027 NHL Draft prospects
- Read below for what the Finnish center brings to the program that produced Kane, Marner and Tkachuk
The London Knights just added another name worth circling for the 2027 NHL Draft.
London signed forward Luca Santala to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement, the team announced. The 16-year-old was the Knights’ first pick in the 2026 CHL Import Draft, and he is not a quiet depth swing.
Santala ranks 12th among 2027 draft prospects on Daily Faceoff’s board from Steven Ellis. He is a 6-foot-2 center who can slide to the wing, and he plays a heavy, north-south game with top-six upside.
He can score, too. Santala put up four goals in five games at the U18 World Championships, leading the tournament in his debut for Finland’s U18 team.
Technically he is a native of Zurich, Switzerland, but he is one of the top names in Finland’s 2027 class. He came up through Kiekko-Espoo and posted 12 points in 25 games skating against players three years older.
The bloodlines are real. His father, Tommi Santala, played 63 NHL games with the Atlanta Thrashers and Vancouver Canucks and carved out a long pro career across Finland, Switzerland and the KHL.
Now Luca lands with one of junior hockey’s best factories. London has produced Patrick Kane, Mitch Marner and Matthew Tkachuk, and Dale Hunter’s group went 40-23-4 last season on the heels of a 2025 Memorial Cup title.
He will not be alone, either. Santala joins Kings 2025 first-rounder Henry Brzustewicz and forward Jaxon Cover, Ottawa’s 32nd pick this summer, giving London another loaded lineup to throw at the OHL.
Rather than stay home and fight for Liiga minutes, Santala gets a runway to be a top OHL scorer right away. Scouts will be watching London closely all winter.
