Sinuhe Wallinheimo
Encyclopedia
Mika Sinuhe Wallinheimo (born March 9, 1972 in Jyväskylä
, Finland
) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey
goaltender
. As the last team he represented JYP in the SM-liiga
. After his sporting career he entered politics and was elected to the Parliament of Finland
as an MP for the National Coalition Party in the 2011 election.
as the third goaltender. Wallinheimo was dropped from the roster when Antero Niittymäki
joined the team, but he made his international debut in a practice game against Denmark
. In the 2006–07 season, Wallinheimo represented Finland on the Euro Hockey Tour
, being chosen best goaltender in both the Ceska Pojistovna Cup
and Karjala Tournament
.
, becoming a league-wide fan favorite for his unusual fan interactions during stoppages of play.
Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä is the capital of Central Finland and the largest city on the Finnish Lakeland, north-east of Tampere and north of Helsinki, on northern coast of lake Päijänne. The city has been continuously one of the most rapidly growing cities in Finland since World War II. The city is surrounded...
, 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...
) is a Finnish former professional 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...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
. As the last team he represented JYP 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...
. After his sporting career he entered politics and was elected to the Parliament of Finland
Parliament of Finland
The Eduskunta , is the parliament of Finland. The unicameral parliament has 200 members and meets in the Parliament House in Helsinki. The latest election to the parliament took place on April 17, 2011.- Constitution :...
as an MP for the National Coalition Party in the 2011 election.
International play
Wallinheimo was selected to the 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
The 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 70th such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 45 countries participated in four levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for the 2007 competition...
as the third goaltender. Wallinheimo was dropped from the roster when Antero Niittymäki
Antero Niittymäki
Antero Pertti Elias Niittymäki is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently a member of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. He has previously played for the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning, as well as in the SM-liiga and the American Hockey League...
joined the team, but he made his international debut in a practice game against Denmark
Danish national ice hockey team
The Danish men's national hockey team is the national ice hockey team for Denmark. The team is controlled by Danmarks Ishockey Union. As of 2007 the Danish team was ranked 12th in the IIHF World Rankings. After not qualifying for a world championship since 1949, Denmark surprised many in 2003 by...
. In the 2006–07 season, Wallinheimo represented Finland on the Euro Hockey Tour
Euro Hockey Tour
The Euro Hockey Tour is an annual ice hockey tournament only open to the national men's teams of the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, and Sweden. Most of the teams use the competition as a preparation for the upcoming World Championships or Olympics, allowing less experienced players to collect...
, being chosen best goaltender in both the Ceska Pojistovna Cup
Ceska Pojistovna Cup
Czech Hockey Games, previously Česká Pojišťovna Cup, is an annual ice hockey event held in Czech Republic. It is part of the Euro Hockey Tour....
and Karjala Tournament
Karjala Tournament
Karjala Tournament, also known as Karjala Cup, is an annual ice hockey event held in Finland. The name comes from the sponsoring beer brand Karjala ....
.
Amateur career
Wallinheimo played for the University of DenverUniversity of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
, becoming a league-wide fan favorite for his unusual fan interactions during stoppages of play.
Career statistics
| Year | Tournament | GP | W | L | T | MIN | SA | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
SV% Save percentage Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | EHT Euro Hockey Tour The Euro Hockey Tour is an annual ice hockey tournament only open to the national men's teams of the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, and Sweden. Most of the teams use the competition as a preparation for the upcoming World Championships or Olympics, allowing less experienced players to collect... |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 244.36 | 120 | 6 | 0 | 1.47 | 95.00% |