Jacob Virtanen (born August 17, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently with the Fischtown Pinguins of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).

[4] While attending Yale Secondary School which worked with the hockey Academy, Virtanen was praised for his wrist shot from the executive director Billy Wilms.

[9] As a 15-year-old, Virtanen spent most of the 2011–12 season in midget hockey with the Fraser Valley Bruins where he scored 39 points in 39 games and recorded 120 penalty minutes.

[14] Virtanen immediately joined the Comets' 2015 Calder Cup playoffs lineup on May 18, where he made his professional debut during Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

"[15] He continued to play with the Comets during their postseason push, eventually recording his first professional assist on a Sven Bärtschi goal in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Grand Rapids Griffins.

[17] His NHL debut came days later when he was subbed in as a replacement for Jared McCann on October 13 prior to the Canucks contest with the Los Angeles Kings.

[19] On November 1, 2015, it was announced Virtanen and McCann had made the Canucks' team past their nine-game "tryout" period which would have sent them back to juniors without wasting a year of their contract.

Following this decision, Virtanen, playing alongside Brandon Sutter, scored his first career NHL goal in a 3–1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

[25] On July 25, 2018, the Canucks re-signed Virtanen to a two-year $1.25 million contract while GM Jim Benning praised his "physical presence and speed.

[38] As the NHL began to enter Stage 2 of their Return to Play process, Virtanen was filmed attending a night club called Celebrities Nightclub in Vancouver which the Canucks said was addressed internally.

[39] As the league readied to resume play for the post-season, Virtanen again unimpressed Canucks coaches during training camp and was scratched for their first game against the Minnesota Wild in the Qualifying Round.

[40][41] He returned to their lineup for Game 2 along with Loui Eriksson as a replacement for forwards Tyler Toffoli and Adam Gaudette and helped lead the team to a 4–3 win over Minnesota.

[48] Remaining as a free agent over the off-season and with his sexual misconduct allegations pending, Virtanen was unable to secure a contract in the NHL.

With the 2021–22 season underway abroad, on September 7, 2021, Virtanen was signed to a one-year contract with Russian club, Spartak Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

[54] Opting to return to Europe, Virtanen agreed to join second tier Swiss club EHC Visp of the SL, signing a two-year contract on November 6, 2022.

[52][56] A free agent, Virtanen quickly signed to a contract with German club Fischtown Pinguins of the DEL, for the remainder of the 2022–23 season with the option of an extra year on February 14, 2023.

[57] Making his first appearance with the Canadian national team prior to the 2013–14 season, Virtanen joined the under-18 squad for the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

Playing in a grinding role, Virtanen recorded one assist in five games as Canada won its sixth consecutive gold medal at the event, which culminated with a 4–0 victory over the United States.

[58] A first round exit from the WHL playoffs by Calgary allowed Virtanen to make a second appearance with the national team as he played in the 2014 IIHF World U18 Championships.

[64] In a response filed by Virtanen in a British Columbia court, he acknowledged having sex with the woman, but claimed he had not forced himself on her and that she consented "through her words and conduct".

[65] After the Vancouver Police Department launched an investigation in May 2021, Virtanen was charged with one count of sexual assault by the British Columbia Prosecution Service in January 2022.

[68] Virtanen expressed relief at the verdict, stating "I am glad the truth has come to light", while adding that he was eager to resume his NHL career.