Ilkka Heikkinen
Encyclopedia
Ilkka Heikkinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey
defenceman
who is currently playing for the Växjö Lakers Hockey
of the Swedish Elitserien
(SEL).
before making his professional SM-liiga
debut in the 2003–04 season. After 4 season's in the top league with Lukko Ilkka moved to rival HIFK
for two years, scoring a career high 37 points in the 2007–08 season.
On May 20, 2009, Heikkinen agreed to a one-year contract with the New York Rangers
of the NHL. After making his North American debut with American Hockey League
affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack
, He appeared in his first career NHL game, a 2-1 Rangers victory over the Buffalo Sabres
on December 5, 2009. Heikkinen played in 7 games with the Rangers before returning to the Wolf Pack for the majority of the 2009–10 season.
On May 21, 2010, Ilkka returned to Europe, signing a one-year contract with HC Sibir Novosibirsk of the KHL.
On April 29, 2011, Ilkka signed a one-year contract with the Växjö Lakers Hockey
of the Swedish Elitserien
(SEL).
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
who is currently playing for the Växjö Lakers Hockey
Växjö Lakers Hockey
Växjö Lakers Hockey is an ice hockey club from Växjö in Sweden. They play their home games in the Vida Arena. The club makes their debut in the Elitserien , Sweden's top ice hockey league, in the 2011–12 season...
of the Swedish Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
(SEL).
Playing career
Heikkinen developed within his hometown club of LukkoLukko
Lukko is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga, formed 1936. The full name of the club is Rauman Lukko. They play in Rauma, Finland at the Äijänsuo Arena. They have won the national championship once, in 1963...
before making his professional SM-liiga
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
debut in the 2003–04 season. After 4 season's in the top league with Lukko Ilkka moved to rival HIFK
HIFK
Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna i Helsingfors is a sports club from Helsinki, Finland. Formed in 1897 HIFK is the oldest IFK club in Finland. The club has activities in many sports, including football, ice hockey, bandy, floorball, handball, athletics and bowling. HIFK Soccer ry is part of the...
for two years, scoring a career high 37 points in the 2007–08 season.
On May 20, 2009, Heikkinen agreed to a one-year contract with the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
of the NHL. After making his North American debut with American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack
Hartford Wolf Pack
The Connecticut Whale is a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. They play in the American Hockey League . They play their home games at the XL Center....
, He appeared in his first career NHL game, a 2-1 Rangers victory over the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
on December 5, 2009. Heikkinen played in 7 games with the Rangers before returning to the Wolf Pack for the majority of the 2009–10 season.
On May 21, 2010, Ilkka returned to Europe, signing a one-year contract with HC Sibir Novosibirsk of the KHL.
On April 29, 2011, Ilkka signed a one-year contract with the Växjö Lakers Hockey
Växjö Lakers Hockey
Växjö Lakers Hockey is an ice hockey club from Växjö in Sweden. They play their home games in the Vida Arena. The club makes their debut in the Elitserien , Sweden's top ice hockey league, in the 2011–12 season...
of the Swedish Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
(SEL).
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... | A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... | Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... | PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2003–04 | Lukko Lukko Lukko is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga, formed 1936. The full name of the club is Rauman Lukko. They play in Rauma, Finland at the Äijänsuo Arena. They have won the national championship once, in 1963... |
SM-l SM-liiga The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice... |
20 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Lukko | SM-l | 48 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | Lukko | SM-l | 55 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Lukko | SM-l | 55 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 71 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | HIFK HIFK Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna i Helsingfors is a sports club from Helsinki, Finland. Formed in 1897 HIFK is the oldest IFK club in Finland. The club has activities in many sports, including football, ice hockey, bandy, floorball, handball, athletics and bowling. HIFK Soccer ry is part of the... |
SM-l | 51 | 11 | 26 | 37 | 96 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2008–09 | HIFK | SM-l | 54 | 8 | 26 | 34 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 | Hartford Wolf Pack Hartford Wolf Pack The Connecticut Whale is a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. They play in the American Hockey League . They play their home games at the XL Center.... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
72 | 8 | 30 | 38 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| SM-l totals | 283 | 31 | 82 | 113 | 255 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| NHL totals | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||