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Eero Makela is a Finn. Finland has the highest ice hockey players per capita in the world, so it's only natural that Makela pulled on the skates at an early age. Both of his parents were coaches in the small town he grew up in, and he had the opportunity to play for both of them during his young career. His father never reached beyond a local house league level, but his mother was part of the 2004 Finnish Women's Olympic team, and participated in several Women's World Championship campaigns for her nation.

Indeed, to this day Eero Makela wears socks with his dad's number 17 written on them in black sharpie. He honors his mother by wearing her number 47 across his back.

"Family is very important to me," Makela said. "Without my family's encouragement and support, I'd never have ended up being a barely serviceable SHL defenseman."