The NHL season has gotten underway and with the recent advancements in analytics, we are able to see cutting-edge stats that were previously unattainable. One of these stats is speed, which Jets forward Rasmus Kupari leads.
Kupari has topped out at 38.5 km/h or nearly 24 mp/h. For comparison, this is almost as fast as an elephant which goes just about 40 km/h. This blazing speed allows Kupari to truly separate himself from the competition which can be seen in the video above.
Kupari was brought into Winnipeg as a part of the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade. Alongside Kupari, the Jets also received Gabriel Vilardi, who is currently injured, Alex Iafallo, and a 2024 2nd-round pick.
Kupari is only 23 years old and was the 20th overall pick in the 2018 draft. While he has not fully adjusted to the NHL, he has proven to be a reliable two-way forward who can chip in offensively occasionally.
Last season Kupari played in 66 games for the Kings in which he scored 3 goals and 15 points establishing himself as a full-time NHLer for the first time in his career. This year he is averaging nearly 12 minutes a night and looks to continue having his ice time grow. He has one assist through five games this year.
