Waltteri Immonen is a retired 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...

 defenseman

Defenceman (ice hockey)

Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...

 and former coach of 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...

 team Jokerit

Jokerit

Jokerit is an ice-hockey team from Helsinki, Finland, playing in the Finnish Elite League, SM-liiga. The team has won 6 league championships...

.

Playing career

Immonen started his playing career in Helsingin Jokerit

Jokerit

Jokerit is an ice-hockey team from Helsinki, Finland, playing in the Finnish Elite League, SM-liiga. The team has won 6 league championships...

, an Ice Hockey team from Helsinki

Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

. Immonen played his first full season for Jokerit during the 1988–89 1. division league of ice hockey in Finland. Immonen led the defence of Jokerit and played alongside with players like Teemu Selänne

Teemu Selänne

Teemu Ilmari Selänne nicknamed "The Finnish Flash" is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger, an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . An offensive player known for his skill and speed, Selanne has led the NHL in goal-scoring three times and has been named to...

, Ari Sulander

Ari Sulander

Ari Sulander, also nicknamed Sulo , is a professional ice hockey goaltender.-Career in Finland:...

, Mika Strömberg

Mika Strömberg

Mika Strömberg is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques as their eleventh-round pick, #211 overall, in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft....

 and during the 1994–95 NHL lockout he was joined by NHL-star Jari Kurri

Jari Kurri

Jari Pekka Kurri is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey right winger and a five-time Stanley Cup champion. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. He is currently the general manager of Team Finland....

 and for the second time Teemu Selänne

Teemu Selänne

Teemu Ilmari Selänne nicknamed "The Finnish Flash" is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger, an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . An offensive player known for his skill and speed, Selanne has led the NHL in goal-scoring three times and has been named to...

. Immonen was appointed as the Captain of Jokerit in the beginning of 1991–92 SM-liiga season

1991–92 SM-liiga season

-Standings:-Quarterfinals:* Lukko - Ässät 0:2 * TPS - HIFK 1:2 -Semifinals:* Jokerit - Ässät 3:2 * JYP - HIFK 3:2...

 by then head coach Boris Majorov. Immonen won the SM-liiga 4 times as the captain of Jokerit and was also winning the 1995 European Cup with Jokerit. Immonen retired after 1998–99 SM-liiga season

1998–99 SM-liiga season

-Standings:-Quarterfinals:* TPS - JYP 3:0 * HIFK - Espoo Blues 3:1 * Jokerit - SaiPa 0:3 * HPK - Ilves 3:1 -Semifinals:* TPS - SaiPa 3:0...

. Immonen's playing number 24 is currently retired by Jokerit in honour of his services as the longtime captain of the team.

Coaching career

After retiring, Immonen soon became the Team Manager of Jokerit and after Hannu Jortikka

Hannu Jortikka

Hannu Jortikka is a former Finnish ice hockey player and current coach.Jortikka spent most of his playing career in TPS. He was a part of the championship-winning TPS team in 1976. He had to retire in 1983 due to injury....

 left, Immonen was named the as the new Head Coach of Jokerit. After a poor start, Immonen was fired from his position but remained in the club in the role of Coach. Immonen was part of the Jokerit coaching staff until 2008, when he followed the departing Doug Shedden

Doug Shedden

Douglas Arthur Shedden is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He coached Team Finland to a bronze medal in 2008 World Championships...

 to Nationalliga A team 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....

 where he will start out as an assistant coach to Shedden.