Raimo Helminen
Encyclopedia
Raimo Ilmari Helminen is a Finnish former professional ice hockey
player. He is often called "Raipe" or "Maestro" by his fans. He is the world record holder for most international games played, as well as for being in the most Olympics.
He has a wife, Leena, and two children, Anssi and Nelli.
.
Helminen started his career in his native town, playing for one of oldest teams in the country, Ilves. After two gold medals in junior leagues, Helminen got to play for Ilves in the SM-liiga
(Finland's top ice hockey league) in 1982. His first international success came in 1984 when Finland
won silver in the U20 World Championship tournament in Sweden
. Helminen broke the record for most points scored in an Under-20 tournament and was selected for the All-Star team. This attracted the attention of people scouting new talent for the professional teams in the National Hockey League
in North America
. That spring Helminen also took part in his first Olympic games
in Sarajevo
.
The New York Rangers
drafted him in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft
as their second pick (2nd round, number 35), and Helminen headed for the NHL
in the fall of 1985. He finished his rookie season with an outstanding 40 points in 66 games. The next fall, however, the new team management sold most of their young players and Helminen ended up with the Minnesota North Stars
.
. There he helped his country win their first Olympic
medal (silver) in ice hockey.
His performance included 10 points in seven games and assisting two goals in Finland
's surprise 3–0 victory over gold medal hopefuls Canada
. The tournament left NHL
scouts wondering why this player was not playing in North America. Eventually Helminen got another chance to play in the NHL
, this time for the New York Islanders
.
farm team for a month—and he left the Islanders for Malmö
IF in Sweden
.
Helminen's play in Malmö IF was at times very good and he earned the respect of the fans. However, his back would not heal properly until the summer of 1992 after Malmö had won the Swedish Elitserien
(the top ice hockey league in the country). After being Elitserien
's first ever foreign scoring winner in 1993 Helminen helped Malmö IF win another championship in 1994.
and Helminen was voted the best player of the season. He was also selected for the league's All-Star team in three consecutive years having remained one of the top scorers. Helminen also holds the SM-Liiga
record for most penalty minutes in one game with (55PIM), when he first spat towards the referee and after that tried to assault him, first with his stick and then with his fists, verbally abusing the referee all the while. Helminen served as the captain of Ilves from 1999 until the end of his career in 2008 (although he was temporarily stripped of his captaincy during the 2006–07 season after being thrown out during a game, he was reinstated after one game). At 44 years of age, Raimo Helminen was the oldest active player during the SM-liiga 2007–08 season.
Helminen officially retired after the 2007-08 SM-liiga season ended for Ilves, when they were defeated by Kärpät
in the Quarter-Finals of the SM-liiga Playoffs.
. This was almost the last international glory Helminen was ever to get as then current National team head coach Pentti Matikainen
decided that Helminen's time in the national team was over. After Matikainen was fired and the new head coach, Swedish
Curt "Curre" Lindström
took over in 1994 Helminen was re-instated to the National Team. In the 1990s Finland
began gaining consistent success in international ice hockey. This included World Championship medals 1994 (silver) and 1995 (gold) and Olympic
medals in 1994 (bronze) and 1998 (bronze). Helminen remained a favourite pick in the national team consistently through the decade and played an important role in the national team's successes. Helminen participated in 11 World Championships tournaments between 1985 and 2002. Helminen holds a World Record of most International games. Helminen played a total of 331 times for Finland and scored 52 goals and assisted 155, totaling 207 points.
His number originally was 14, but he had to change it to 41 when Ilves retired 14 in honour of Lasse Oksanen
, a former player of the team. Helminen continued to wear 14 when he played for Team Finland
. At the beginning of the 2008-2009 season, Ilves announced that Helminen's number 41 would also be retired.
The 2002 World Championship Tournament
was Helminen's last World Championship tournament callup since Helminen was dropped as the last player from the 2003 World Championship
squad by Hannu Aravirta
In February 2008, Helminen returned to the national team for one game, his farewell match. Finland faced the Czech Republic in the LG Hockey Tournament, which is part of the European Hockey Tour. Although the tournament is held in Sweden, the match was played in Tampere, which is Helminen's hometown. Helminen recorded an assist on a goal scored by Tuomas Pihlman
four seconds before the end of the game. Finland won the game 6–1.
In 1998, Helminen and Dieter Hegen
(Germany) became the third and fourth ice hockey players to compete at five Olympics, after Udo Kießling (Germany) and Petter Thoresen
(Norway). Helminen's appearance at the 2002 Olympics made him the first (and as of 2010, only) hockey player to compete at six Olympics.
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. He is often called "Raipe" or "Maestro" by his fans. He is the world record holder for most international games played, as well as for being in the most Olympics.
He has a wife, Leena, and two children, Anssi and Nelli.
Early years
Helminen has himself said that he developed most of his skills when he was young and spent all his free time playing in outdoor ice rinks. Before he focused on ice hockey he had also played footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
.
Helminen started his career in his native town, playing for one of oldest teams in the country, Ilves. After two gold medals in junior leagues, Helminen got to play for Ilves in 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...
(Finland's top ice hockey league) in 1982. His first international success came in 1984 when Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
won silver in the U20 World Championship tournament in 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....
. Helminen broke the record for most points scored in an Under-20 tournament and was selected for the All-Star team. This attracted the attention of people scouting new talent for the professional teams in 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...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. That spring Helminen also took part in his first Olympic games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
.
NHL
The following season he was one of the best players for Ilves, being the second highest scorer for his team and third overall in the league. As the centre of the first line, he led Ilves to a league championship victory for the first time in the league's history.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...
drafted him in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft
1984 NHL Entry Draft
The 1984 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 9, 1984, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.The 1984 Entry Draft was noted for the unusually high number of future Hall of Famers picked, particularly in lower rounds. In addition to Mario Lemieux being taken first overall, Patrick Roy was chosen...
as their second pick (2nd round, number 35), and Helminen headed for 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...
in the fall of 1985. He finished his rookie season with an outstanding 40 points in 66 games. The next fall, however, the new team management sold most of their young players and Helminen ended up with the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
.
Difficulties and Success
The next season proved more difficult, and Helminen ended up playing a lot in the minor leagues. In the fall of 1987 he returned to home soil to play for Ilves again. He proved to be a success and secured a place in the national team for the 1988 Winter Olympics1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
. There he helped his country win their first Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
medal (silver) in ice hockey.
His performance included 10 points in seven games and assisting two goals in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
's surprise 3–0 victory over gold medal hopefuls Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The tournament left 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...
scouts wondering why this player was not playing in North America. Eventually Helminen got another chance to play in 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...
, this time for 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...
.
Back problems and Sweden
In the spring of 1988 Helminen started having back problems that would hinder his career for the next couple of years. Because of this injury his 1988–89 season for the Islanders was a disappointment—although he played spectacularly for New York's AHL Springfield IndiansSpringfield Indians
The Springfield Indians were a minor professional ice hockey franchise, originally based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and later Springfield, Massachusetts. The Indians were founding members of the American Hockey League. They were in existence for a total of 60 seasons from 1926 to 1994, with...
farm team for a month—and he left the Islanders for Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
IF in 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....
.
Helminen's play in Malmö IF was at times very good and he earned the respect of the fans. However, his back would not heal properly until the summer of 1992 after Malmö had won the Swedish Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
(the top ice hockey league in the country). After being Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
's first ever foreign scoring winner in 1993 Helminen helped Malmö IF win another championship in 1994.
Late career
In 1996 Helminen returned again to his home town to play for Ilves and quickly became a fan favorite again. In 1998 Ilves won silver medals in the SM-liigaSM-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...
and Helminen was voted the best player of the season. He was also selected for the league's All-Star team in three consecutive years having remained one of the top scorers. Helminen also holds 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...
record for most penalty minutes in one game with (55PIM), when he first spat towards the referee and after that tried to assault him, first with his stick and then with his fists, verbally abusing the referee all the while. Helminen served as the captain of Ilves from 1999 until the end of his career in 2008 (although he was temporarily stripped of his captaincy during the 2006–07 season after being thrown out during a game, he was reinstated after one game). At 44 years of age, Raimo Helminen was the oldest active player during the SM-liiga 2007–08 season.
Helminen officially retired after the 2007-08 SM-liiga season ended for Ilves, when they were defeated by Kärpät
Kärpät
Oulun Kärpät is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga based in Oulu, Finland. Their logo features a stoat ; "kärpät" is Finnish for stoats or ermines. The team has won five league championships .-History:...
in the Quarter-Finals of the SM-liiga Playoffs.
International play
Helminen played in a few international tournaments throughout the '80s and was on the silver winning team of the 1988 Winter Olympics1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
. This was almost the last international glory Helminen was ever to get as then current National team head coach Pentti Matikainen
Pentti Matikainen
Pentti Matikainen is a Finnish hockey coach and general manager. He was selected the SM-liiga coach of the year in 1984. As the coach of the Finnish national ice hockey team, he led Finland to silver medals in the 1988 Winter Olympics and the 1992 World Championships, and to third place in the...
decided that Helminen's time in the national team was over. After Matikainen was fired and the new head coach, 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....
Curt "Curre" Lindström
Curt Lindström
Curt "Curre" Lindström is a Swedish ice hockey coach.-Career on international level:He coached Team Finland from 1993 to 1997, winning Finland's first Ice Hockey World Championships gold medal in 1995, and a silver world championships medal as well as Olympic bronze...
took over in 1994 Helminen was re-instated to the National Team. In the 1990s Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
began gaining consistent success in international ice hockey. This included World Championship medals 1994 (silver) and 1995 (gold) and Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
medals in 1994 (bronze) and 1998 (bronze). Helminen remained a favourite pick in the national team consistently through the decade and played an important role in the national team's successes. Helminen participated in 11 World Championships tournaments between 1985 and 2002. Helminen holds a World Record of most International games. Helminen played a total of 331 times for Finland and scored 52 goals and assisted 155, totaling 207 points.
Lasse Oksanen
Lasse Kalevi Oksanen is a retired professional ice hockey player who mostly played in the SM-liiga. He played for Ilves...
, a former player of the team. Helminen continued to wear 14 when he played for Team 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...
. At the beginning of the 2008-2009 season, Ilves announced that Helminen's number 41 would also be retired.
The 2002 World Championship Tournament
2002 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
The 2002 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held between April 26 and May 11, 2002 in Gothenburg, Karlstad and Jönköping, Sweden.It was the 66th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation .- Championship :...
was Helminen's last World Championship tournament callup since Helminen was dropped as the last player from the 2003 World Championship
2003 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Relegation round: avoids relegation by defeating 4-1 in the 2004 IIHF World Championship Far East Qualification game. and are demoted to Division I at the 2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships.-Scoring leaders:-Goaltending leaders:-Group A:...
squad by Hannu Aravirta
Hannu Aravirta
Hannu Aravirta is a Finnish ice hockey player and an ice hockey coach for the Finnish national men's team, SM-liiga and Elitserien.-Career as player:...
In February 2008, Helminen returned to the national team for one game, his farewell match. Finland faced the Czech Republic in the LG Hockey Tournament, which is part of the European Hockey Tour. Although the tournament is held in Sweden, the match was played in Tampere, which is Helminen's hometown. Helminen recorded an assist on a goal scored by Tuomas Pihlman
Tuomas Pihlman
Tuomas Pihlman is a Finnish professional ice hockey player in the Finnish SM-liiga side Jokerit.Pihlman was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 2nd round, 48th overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He played a total of 15 NHL games over three seasons, 2003–04, 2005–06 and 2006–07.-External...
four seconds before the end of the game. Finland won the game 6–1.
In 1998, Helminen and Dieter Hegen
Dieter Hegen
Dieter Hegen is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the Ice Hockey Bundesliga and its replacement the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-Playing career:...
(Germany) became the third and fourth ice hockey players to compete at five Olympics, after Udo Kießling (Germany) and Petter Thoresen
Petter Thoresen (ice hockey)
Petter Thoresen is a Norwegian ice hockey manager and former player, currently managing Stavanger Oilers, where he has been in charge since March 2009. As a player he played for Forward, Hasle/Løren, Manglerud Star, Storhamar Dragons and Vålerenga...
(Norway). Helminen's appearance at the 2002 Olympics made him the first (and as of 2010, only) hockey player to compete at six Olympics.
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 | ||
| 1981–82 | Ilves Jrs. Ilves Ilves is a Finnish sports club nowadays mostly known for their youth work. The ice hockey team plays in the SM-liiga at the Tampereen jäähalli in Hakametsä... |
FIN Jrs. 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... |
30 | 28 | 31 | 59 | 22 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 1982–83 | Ilves Ilves Ilves is a Finnish sports club nowadays mostly known for their youth work. The ice hockey team plays in the SM-liiga at the Tampereen jäähalli in Hakametsä... |
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... |
31 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1982–83 | Ilves Jrs. | FIN jrs. | 13 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Ilves | SM-l | 37 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1983–84 | Olympic Team | SM-l | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Ilves | SM-l | 36 | 21 | 36 | 57 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | ||
| 1985–86 | 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 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... |
66 | 10 | 30 | 40 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1986–87 | New York Rangers | NHL | 21 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Minnesota North Stars Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white... |
NHL | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 1986–87 AHL season The 1986–87 AHL season was the 51st season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league institutes awarding one point in the standings, for an overtime loss... |
New Haven Nighthawks New Haven Nighthawks The New Haven Nighthawks are a former ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League from 1972 to 1992. They had affiliations with the Minnesota North Stars , New York Islanders , New York Rangers , and Los Angeles Kings... |
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... |
6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Ilves | SM-l | 31 | 20 | 23 | 43 | 42 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 1988–89 | 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... |
NHL | 24 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 1988–89 AHL season The 1988–89 AHL season was the 53rd season of the American Hockey League. Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league abandoned awarding points for an overtime loss. The Sherbrooke Canadiens finished first overall in the regular season... |
Springfield Indians Springfield Indians The Springfield Indians were a minor professional ice hockey franchise, originally based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and later Springfield, Massachusetts. The Indians were founding members of the American Hockey League. They were in existence for a total of 60 seasons from 1926 to 1994, with... |
AHL | 16 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Malmö IF | SWE-2 Allsvenskan (hockey) HockeyAllsvenskan, before the 2005–06 season called Allsvenskan and SuperAllsvenskan, is the name of the second highest-level Swedish ice hockey league... |
18 | 18 | 19 | 37 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 6 | ||
| 1990–91 | Malmö IF | SEL Elitserien Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden... |
33 | 12 | 18 | 30 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1991–92 | Malmö IF | SEL | 40 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 24 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1992–93 | Malmö IF | SEL | 40 | 9 | 33 | 42 | 59 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1993–94 | Malmö IF | SEL | 38 | 20 | 34 | 54 | 26 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 1994–95 | Malmö IF | SEL | 35 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 55 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 1995–96 | Malmö IF | SEL | 40 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 53 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | ||
| 1996–97 | Ilves | SM-l | 49 | 11 | 39 | 50 | 54 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1997–98 | Ilves | SM-l | 46 | 12 | 36 | 48 | 42 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 10 | ||
| 1998–99 | Ilves | SM-l | 53 | 12 | 38 | 50 | 44 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1999–00 | Ilves | SM-l | 51 | 7 | 38 | 45 | 68 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | ||
| 2000–01 | Ilves | SM-l | 56 | 9 | 37 | 46 | 28 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 2 | ||
| 2001–02 | Ilves | SM-l | 56 | 7 | 34 | 41 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Ilves | SM-l | 53 | 10 | 21 | 31 | 77 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Ilves | SM-l | 56 | 9 | 34 | 43 | 46 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2004–05 | Ilves | SM-l | 53 | 7 | 21 | 28 | 45 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2005–06 | Ilves | SM-l | 46 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 34 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07 | Ilves | SM-l | 43 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 47 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | ||
| 2007–08 | Ilves | SM-l | 53 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 53 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | ||
| SM-Liiga totals | 751 | 161 | 420 | 581 | 628 | 91 | 14 | 31 | 45 | 70 | ||||
| NHL totals | 117 | 13 | 46 | 59 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Elitserien totals | 226 | 68 | 131 | 199 | 231 | 41 | 7 | 17 | 23 | 40 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 Ice hockey at the 1984 Winter Olympics At the 1984 Winter Olympics held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, one ice hockey event was held: men's ice hockey. Most of the games were held at the Olympic Hall Zetra and some of the games in Skenderija II olympic hall.-Medalists:Source:* Gold -... |
Finland | Oly 1984 Winter Olympics The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden... |
6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1985 | Finland | WCh 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... |
10 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 | |
| 1987 1987 Canada Cup The 1987 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament held from August 28 to September 15, 1987. The finals took place in Montreal on September 11 and Hamilton, Ontario, on September 13 and September 15, and were won by Team Canada.... |
Finland | CC Canada Cup (ice hockey) The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional... |
5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1988 Ice hockey at the 1988 Winter Olympics At the 1988 Winter Olympics one ice hockey event was held, men's ice hockey. Games were played at the Olympic Saddledome, the Stampede Corral, and Father David Bauer Olympic Arena in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.Source:* Gold - * Silver -... |
Finland | Oly 1988 Winter Olympics The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy... |
7 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 4 | |
| 1992 Ice hockey at the 1992 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 1992 Winter Olympics was held at the Méribel Ice Palace in Méribel, a ski resort about 45 km from host city Albertville. The competition, held from 8 to 23 February, was won by the Unified Team.-Final rankings:# # # # # # #... |
Finland | Oly 1992 Winter Olympics The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics... |
8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1994 Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics was held at the Fjellhallen in Gjøvik and the Håkons Hall in Lillehammer, Norway. The competition, held from February 12 to February 27, was won by Sweden and Canada as runner-up.-Final rankings:Source:* Gold -... |
Finland | Oly 1994 Winter Olympics The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat... |
8 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | |
| 1994 1994 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :... |
Finland | WCh | 8 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1995 1995 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 1995 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was played in Stockholm and Gavle Sweden, from April 23rd to May the 7th, 1995. In the tournament finals, Finland won the gold medal by winning over Sweden 4-1 at the Globen arena in Stockholm. The Finnish goals were scored by Timo Jutila and Ville... |
Finland | WCh | 8 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 2 | |
| 1996 1996 World Cup of Hockey The first World Cup of Hockey , or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey .... |
Finland | WCp World Cup of Hockey The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991... |
3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1996 1996 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :Austria was relegated to Group B.- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :... |
Finland | WCh | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1997 1997 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Second Round 1-6 Place :Teams that had played each other in the first round carried those results forward. First and second place played off for gold, third and fourth for bronze.- Consolation Round 7-12 Place :... |
Finland | WCh | 8 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1998 Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to... |
Finland | Oly 1998 Winter Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice... |
6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1998 1998 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -World Championship Group C :Played March 22-28 in Budapest, Székesfehérvár and Dunaújváros.- Group 1 :- Group 2 :- Final Round 25-28 Place :Hungary was promoted to Group B.- Consolation Round 29-32 Place :... |
Finland | WCh | 10 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1999 1999 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -World Championship Group C:Played at Eindhoven and Tilburg, Netherlands April 5–11. Yugoslavia was supposed to particpate in this tournament, but was prevented by the host Dutch government.-Group 1:-Group 2:-Final Round 25-28 Place:... |
Finland | WCh | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2000 2000 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -World Championship Group A :Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2001# -World Championship Group B :... |
Finland | WCh | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2001 2001 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2002# — relegated to Division I for 2002# - Group A :Group A was played in Grenoble, France between April 16 and April 22, 2001... |
Finland | WCh | 9 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2002 Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:... |
Finland | Oly Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:... |
4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2002 2002 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 2002 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held between April 26 and May 11, 2002 in Gothenburg, Karlstad and Jönköping, Sweden.It was the 66th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation .- Championship :... |
Finland | WCh | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Senior international totals | 331 | 52 | 155 | 207 | 72 | |||
Awards
- Lasse Oksanen trophyLasse Oksanen trophyThe Lasse Oksanen trophy is an ice hockey trophy awarded by the Finnish SM-liiga to the best player of the season during regular season play.Trophy winners:1948-49: Unto Wiitala 1953-54: Unto Wiitala...
for best player during the SM-liiga regular season - 1998 - Kultainen kypäräKultainen kypäräKultainen kypärä is an ice hockey award given to the best player in the Finnish SM-liiga. It is the most appreciated of the awards, as it is voted for by the players. It has been awarded since 1987....
trophy for best player as voted by the players - 1998
Achievements
- Best Player of Team FinlandFinnish national men's ice hockey teamThe Finnish men's national ice hockey team, or Leijonat / Lejonen , as it is called in Finland, is governed by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association...
with Esa TikkanenEsa TikkanenEsa Tikkanen is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey forward. He played for the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, St...
and Jarmo MyllysJarmo MyllysJarmo Myllys is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender. He was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars as their ninth-round pick, #172 overall, in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft...
(World Championships 1984) - All Star Team (World Championships 1984; SM-liigaSM-liigaThe 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...
1987–88, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99) - Most assists (ElitserienElitserienElitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
, 1992–93) - Most points (ElitserienElitserienElitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
, 1993–94) - The first foreign player to be the top scorer of ElitserienElitserienElitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
(1993–94) - Best Player (SM-liigaSM-liigaThe 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...
1997–98) - Most assists (155) and points (207) scored for Team FinlandFinnish national men's ice hockey teamThe Finnish men's national ice hockey team, or Leijonat / Lejonen , as it is called in Finland, is governed by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association...
- World record holder for most international games played (331)
- Only ice hockey player who has participated in six Olympic GamesOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
: Sarajevo 19841984 Winter OlympicsThe 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
, Calgary 19881988 Winter OlympicsThe 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
, Albertville 19921992 Winter OlympicsThe 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
, Lillehammer 19941994 Winter OlympicsThe 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
, Nagano 19981998 Winter OlympicsThe 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
and Salt Lake City 20022002 Winter OlympicsThe 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
External links
- http://www.raipe.fi Official site, in Finnish