Janne Niskala
Encyclopedia
Janne Juhani Niskala (born September 22, 1981) is a Finnish professional ice hockey
defenceman
, currently playing for Atlant Mytishchi of the Kontinental Hockey League
(KHL). He was born in Västerås
, Sweden
but is of Finnish nationality.
in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft
in 5th round as the 147th pick overall. He is known for his good offensive skills and his power play scoring ability.
Niskala has played in Finland for the SM-liiga
club Lukko
for five seasons. During the 2000-01 season he played in the Finnish second tier division but also for the British
club Manchester Storm
. He has spent one season with the Swiss
club EV Zug
and one for the Swedish
Elitserien
club Färjestads BK
. In Sweden he was reunited with his former team mate from Lukko, Esa Pirnes
. During the 2006-07 season in Sweden, Niskala led all defensemen in both points and goals. He also finished first in the plus/minus statistics with a plus-25 rating.
Following his big season with Färjestad, Niskala signed a one-year contract with the Nashville Predators
of the National Hockey League
(NHL), but spent the entire 2007-08 season with the farm team Milwaukee Admirals
of the American Hockey League
(AHL). Niskala was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers
on June 24, 2008 in exchange for Triston Grant
and a 7th round draft pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft
. On June 30, 2008, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning
for a 6th round draft pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He scored a goal in his first NHL preseason game on September 20th, 2008 against the Penguins. He then scored his first NHL goal in his third NHL game, on October 11th against Michael Leighton
of the Carolina Hurricanes
. Niskala only play six games for the Lightning before asking to be waived since he had been cut off the roster. On November 13, he signed a two-year contract with Frölunda HC
in Elitserien
.
On May 4, 2011, he moved from KHL's Metallurg Magnitogorsk
to Atlant Mytishchi.
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...
, currently playing for Atlant Mytishchi of the Kontinental Hockey League
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....
(KHL). He was born in Västerås
Västerås
Västerås is a city in central Sweden, located on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the province Västmanland, some 100 km west of Stockholm...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
but is of Finnish nationality.
Playing career
Niskala was drafted by the Nashville PredatorsNashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft
2004 NHL Entry Draft
The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout which canceled all the games scheduled for the 2004–05 NHL season.- Selections by round :Listed...
in 5th round as the 147th pick overall. He is known for his good offensive skills and his power play scoring ability.
Niskala has played in Finland for the 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...
club 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...
for five seasons. During the 2000-01 season he played in the Finnish second tier division but also for the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
club Manchester Storm
Manchester Storm
The Manchester Storm were an ice hockey team from Manchester, England. The team formed in 1995, playing their home games at the then newly built Nynex Arena . Storm won the British Hockey League Division One in their first season, watched by an average crowd of 6,342...
. He has spent one season with the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
club EV Zug
EV Zug
EV Zug is a professional men's ice hockey team from Zug, Switzerland. They are a current member of National League A and play their home games at Bossard Arena.-History:EV Zug won its lone championship in the 1997–98 season....
and one for the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
club Färjestads BK
Färjestads BK
Färjestads Bollklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey team based in Karlstad. Färjestad has had 18 Swedish Championship final appearances, winning nine times since Elitserien was started in 1975. The team plays in the highest Swedish league, and have done so since 1965...
. In Sweden he was reunited with his former team mate from Lukko, Esa Pirnes
Esa Pirnes
Esa Pirnes is a Finnish professional ice hockey centre.- Draft :He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft in the 6th round as the 174th pick overall.-Playing career:...
. During the 2006-07 season in Sweden, Niskala led all defensemen in both points and goals. He also finished first in the plus/minus statistics with a plus-25 rating.
Following his big season with Färjestad, Niskala signed a one-year contract with the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL), but spent the entire 2007-08 season with the farm team Milwaukee Admirals
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...
of the 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...
(AHL). Niskala was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
on June 24, 2008 in exchange for Triston Grant
Triston Grant
Triston Grant is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League .-Career statistics:-External links:...
and a 7th round draft pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft
2009 NHL Entry Draft
The 2009 NHL Entry Draft was the 47th Entry Draft. It was held on June 26–27, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The Draft was part of the Montreal Canadiens centennial celebrations. National Hockey League teams took turns selecting amateur ice hockey players from junior, collegiate, or...
. On June 30, 2008, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
for a 6th round draft pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He scored a goal in his first NHL preseason game on September 20th, 2008 against the Penguins. He then scored his first NHL goal in his third NHL game, on October 11th against Michael Leighton
Michael Leighton
Michael "Mike" Leighton is a professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Adirondack Phantoms of the American Hockey League.-Playing career:...
of the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
. Niskala only play six games for the Lightning before asking to be waived since he had been cut off the roster. On November 13, he signed a two-year contract with Frölunda HC
Frölunda HC
Frölunda Hockey Club, also known as the Frölunda Indians, are a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Gothenburg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Elitserien, where they have played the majority of the seasons during its existence. The last time they played in the...
in Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
.
On May 4, 2011, he moved from KHL's Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Metallurg Magnitogorsk is a professional ice hockey team based in Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. They are members of the Kharlamov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League...
to Atlant Mytishchi.
Regular season and playoffs
| 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 | ||
| 2000–01 | 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... |
SML 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... |
18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000-01 | Jää-Kotkat | Fin-2 Mestis Mestis, , is the second-highest ice hockey league in Finland.The league was established in 2000 to replace the first division. Since 2000, Mestis has been the highest hockey league in Finland that can be reached with playing merits only; the SM-liiga was closed in 2000... |
13 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Manchester Storm Manchester Storm The Manchester Storm were an ice hockey team from Manchester, England. The team formed in 1995, playing their home games at the then newly built Nynex Arena . Storm won the British Hockey League Division One in their first season, watched by an average crowd of 6,342... |
BISH Ice Hockey Superleague The Ice Hockey Superleague was a professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2003. Formed in 1995, it replaced the Premier Division of the British Hockey League, it was the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom... |
10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2001–02 | Lukko | SML | 55 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Lukko | SML | 46 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Lukko | SML | 55 | 21 | 15 | 36 | 73 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 2004–05 | Lukko | SML | 44 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 63 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 2005–06 | EV Zug EV Zug EV Zug is a professional men's ice hockey team from Zug, Switzerland. They are a current member of National League A and play their home games at Bossard Arena.-History:EV Zug won its lone championship in the 1997–98 season.... |
NLA | 44 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 50 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 2006–07 2006–07 Elitserien season The 2006–07 Elitserien season was the 32nd season of Elitserien. It began on September 18, 2006, with the regular season ending March 2, 2007. The playoffs of the 84th Swedish Championship concluded on April 14, with Modo Hockey defeating Linköpings HC to win their second championship title.-Final... |
Färjestads BK Färjestads BK Färjestads Bollklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey team based in Karlstad. Färjestad has had 18 Swedish Championship final appearances, winning nine times since Elitserien was started in 1975. The team plays in the highest Swedish league, and have done so since 1965... |
SEL Elitserien Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden... |
53 | 19 | 30 | 49 | 62 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 14 | ||
| 2007–08 2007–08 AHL season The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:... |
Milwaukee Admirals Milwaukee Admirals The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:... |
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... |
80 | 19 | 25 | 44 | 81 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 Elitserien season The 2008–09 Elitserien season was the 34th season of Elitserien. It began on September 15, 2008, with the regular season ending February 28, 2009. The playoffs of the 85th Swedish Championship ended on April 8, with Färjestads BK taking the championship... |
Frölunda HC Frölunda HC Frölunda Hockey Club, also known as the Frölunda Indians, are a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Gothenburg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Elitserien, where they have played the majority of the seasons during its existence. The last time they played in the... |
SEL | 35 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 20 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 Elitserien season The 2009–10 Elitserien season was the 35th season of Elitserien. It started on September 21, 2009 and ended on March 13, 2010. The playoffs started on March 18, 2010 and ended on April 24, 2010. HV71 won the playoffs, beating Timrå IK 4–1 in the quarter final series, Skellefteå AIK 4–1 in the semi... |
Frölunda HC | SEL | 50 | 12 | 16 | 28 | 34 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | ||
| SML totals | 218 | 41 | 45 | 86 | 257 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 22 | ||||
| SEL totals | 138 | 40 | 56 | 96 | 116 | 27 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 28 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 2001 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships -Group B:All times local .-Relegation round: was relegated to Division I for the 2002 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.-Final round:† Overtime victory.-Quarterfinals:January 2-Consolation round:... |
Finland Jr. Finland men's national junior ice hockey team The Finnish men's national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Finland. The team represents Finland at the International Ice Hockey Federation's IIHF World U20 Championship.-2011 WJC roster:... |
WJC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| 2008 2008 IIHF World Championship The 2008 IIHF World Championship was played between May 2 and May 18, 2008 in the Canadian cities of Halifax and Quebec City . The two venues were the Halifax Metro Centre and the Colisée Pepsi... |
Finland Finnish national men's ice hockey team The Finnish men's national ice hockey team, or Leijonat / Lejonen , as it is called in Finland, is governed by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association... |
WC Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... |
9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2009 2009 IIHF World Championship The 2009 IIHF World Championship took place in Switzerland from 24 April to 10 May. The games were played in the PostFinance Arena in Bern and Schluefweg in Kloten.... |
Finland | WC | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2010 | Finland | OG Ice hockey at the Olympic Games Ice hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men's tournament was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics and was transferred permanently to the Winter Olympic Games programme in 1924. The women's tournament was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics... |
6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Senior int'l totals | 19 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 6 | |||