When Penn State hockey fans return to Pegula Ice Arena this season, they will notice an Autio jersey still on the ice.
This year, that name belongs to a freshman goaltender, not the defenseman that fans have been used to seeing over the last few years. While his older brother Erik will head back to Finland to play professionally in his home country, Oskar Autio (Espoo, Finland) will suit up for the Nittany Lions as he begins his freshman campaign.
"I'm just looking forward to being able to play at Pegula," Autio said. "I've seen the atmosphere for the last couple years, and to finally be out there playing is what I'm most looking forward to."
Autio played last season for the USHL's Chicago Steel, an experience he says was crucial in his choice to play at the NCAA level as he adjusted to the North American style of hockey. With a .904 save percentage and a 2.90 goals-against average, Autio was named to the USHL All-Rookie Team following the 2017-18 season.
"It was huge," Autio said. "The biggest change is the size of the rink. Being on a smaller sheet, the game is a lot faster, especially from juniors to college with more skilled guys. A faster game forces you to make your decisions quicker.
"It was one of the bigger reasons why I wanted to go there and play, to get adjusted to the culture and living by myself, and I feel like I benefited a lot."
Like any freshman, Autio has been adjusting to the lifestyle of a student-athlete. The transition has been made easier by the fact that he has teammate and fellow countryman Aarne Talvitie by his side, both on the ice and in the dorms.
"Having another Finn here is always nice. We both help each other out and we live together, so it has been nice to have him," Autio said.
"Time management has been one of the biggest adjustments. Trying to balance school and hockey while living on your own has been kinda hectic at first, but it's been a lot of fun so far."
While Talvitie and Autio both hail from the same hometown, make no mistake about who speaks better English between the two.
"I definitely do," Autio said. "Don't get me wrong, he speaks very well, but my year in the USA puts me on top."
Autio's competitive nature applies to his brothers too. Oskar is fairly confident that in a penalty shootout with older brother Erik, he would come out on top.
"Out of 10 penalty shots, I think I'd stop eight," Autio said. "He might slip two of them, because he would get lucky on one, and the other he knows my weak spot."
Autio credits both of his brothers for their influence on his hockey career, which he hopes will propel him to future success at both the collegiate and professional level.
"During the summers, I used to practice a lot with Erik and my other brother Olli too, and we all played hockey," Autio said. "Me being the youngest, I guess I was always the goalie so they would shoot at me, and I think it plays a big role in why I'm here today and what I've achieved in my career."
Head coach Guy Gadowsky has praised Erik, who was an important leader during his time at Penn State and expects to see to see similar leadership out of Oskar.
"Oskar is a very poised goalie who controls his rebounds really well and doesn't get himself out of position," Gadowsky said. "We believe he has a similar work ethic to his brother Erik, who was one of the team captains in 2017-18, and will give us added depth at the goaltender position."
