Jori Lehterä awaited a crowd of reporters around his locker stall to say what little he felt he could about his two-day absence.

Early Wednesday morning in the United States, news broke from MTV.fi, a Finnish news service, that Lehterä was a suspect in a cocaine ring and that police had raided his cottage this summer but Lehterä wasn’t there at the time. According to the report there are seven people in jail in Finland and 22 total suspects regarding two kilos of cocaine that have spread around the city of Tampere since January 2017.

The NHL told the Courier-Post it would start an investigation in the matter and the Flyers are awaiting word from authorities in the NHL and in Finland before making any comment.

“I was asked by Tampere police that I can’t say anything about this matter,” Lehterä said. “I’m gonna respect that.”

Lehterä, 30, has one year left on his contract with the Flyers. The investigations aside, he was on the bubble for a roster spot anyway. That probably makes for a tougher mental state as he tries to keep a job in the NHL.

“I think I can handle that,” he said. “That’s all the comments you guys are gonna get. I just want to say you guys are gonna see I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Lehterä said he wasn’t sure how long investigations would take before he could say more to clear his name and explain why he was brought into the case. It’s unclear what he told the Flyers or when.

Wednesday, when general manager Ron Hextall was asked about it, he wouldn’t divulge anything on that subject.

“I don’t know any details so there’s nothing to comment on,” Hextall said. “No comment.”

At least on the surface, it would appear that Lehterä’s standing with the team has more to do with his performance on the ice than investigations about him off of it. Final rosters are due to the NHL next Tuesday at 5 p.m. There may be no answer until about that time.

Lehterä took the ice in Friday’s practice centering Scott Laughton and Michael Raffl.

“He was in the fourth-line centerman position. He does a heck of a job there,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “Assuming, if he’s in the game (Saturday) night, he’s gonna get an opportunity to go into that role, play his part and that part’s gonna be a real important, reliable fourth-line role and a (penalty kill) role. There’s nothing really more to elaborate on.”

If the Flyers decide Lehterä doesn’t make their final cut, they would have to put him on waivers and with a $4.7 million salary-cap hit and only eight points in 64 games last season it’s extremely unlikely any team claims him. If Lehterä cleared waivers, they could send him to the American Hockey League and get $1.025 million in salary-cap relief by doing so.

“I felt good,” Lehterä said when asked how he felt about training camp up until the news broke. He has a goal in three preseason games so far. “I knew more of what the team was expecting of me and my role here so it was easier to come this year than last year.”

Dave Isaac; @davegisaac; 856-486-2479; disaac@gannett.com

Up next: at Boston Bruins

When: 5 p.m., Saturday

TV/Radio: NHLN/97.5 FM