 He made his North American debut with the OHL's Mississauga IceDogs in 2005, and was drafted 97th overall in the 4th round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals.In the 2007–08 season, he returned to Finland where he played for the Espoo Blues of the SM-liiga; made his debut with the senior national team; and was named SM-liiga rookie of the year.Osala signed a three-year contract with the Capitals in June 2008, and was assigned to Washington's AHL affiliate in Hershey.