Masi Marjamäki is a Finnish ice hockey

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...

 player who currently plays for Ilves Tampere of 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...

.

Marjamäki, a 6'2" 205 pound left wing, was originally drafted by the Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

 as the 66th overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft

2003 NHL Entry Draft

The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21, 2003.Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, only the third goalie in NHL history selected as the first overall draft choice...

. However, he never came to terms with the Bruins and re-entered the draft in 2005, where he was the 144th overall pick by the New York Islanders

New York Islanders

The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

.

He played his junior hockey first in his hometown Porin Ässät

Ässät

Ässät is an ice hockey team in the Finnish elite league, SM-liiga. They play in Pori, Finland at the Porin jäähalli.-Team history:...

 before moving over the ocean to the Red Deer Rebels

Red Deer Rebels

The Red Deer Rebels are a Western Hockey League junior ice hockey team based in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. They play their home games at the ENMAX Centrium....

 and the Moose Jaw Warriors

Moose Jaw Warriors

The Moose Jaw Warriors are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League which are based out of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The team plays its home games at Mosaic Place. The franchise moved to Moose Jaw from Winnipeg after the 1983–84 season, where they had previously been named the...

 of the WHL

Western Hockey League

The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...

 before becoming professional in the 2005–2006 season.

After totaling 31 points (9 goals and 22 assists) along with 77 penalty minutes in 75 games for Bridgeport

Bridgeport Sound Tigers

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are an ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. It has been the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who also own the franchise, since its inception, and use the same team colors as the parent Islanders do. The team is based in...

 (the Islanders' top affiliate) in the 2005–2006 season, Marjamäki was called up by the big club and made his NHL debut on April 18, 2006 against 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...

, logging 5 minutes and 17 seconds of icetime.

Marjamäki is known for his gritty, physical style of play but is also a good stickhandler who can put points on the board. He has received comparisons to Kirk Maltby

Kirk Maltby

Kirk Maltby is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings.-Playing career:...

 of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...

.

After a frustrating start to the 2007-2008 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...

 season in which Marjamäki was scratched every game, he asked the Islanders to be re-assigned to Finland. The Islanders granted his request and he spent the season playing for Ässät.

Marjamäki signed a one-year contract to play for Ilves in 2008-2009.

External links

• Masi Marjamäki on nhlfinns.com