The 100 greatest Finnish NHL players off all time
History lesson: In the year of 1917, Russia was in political distress. The October revolution had resulted into the Bolsheviks taking over the country from the provisional government, which itself had overthrown Tsar Nicholas II in the same year. The Finnish government at the time recognized that this was an opportunity where the country could gain independence. After all, the sense of Finnish nationalism had grown strongly in the 19th century. The idea eventually materialized and in 4th of December 1917, the Finnish government structured the Declaration of Independence, which was approved in voting on the 6th of December 1917. On the same date in 2017, Finland is celebrating it’s 100th birthday and in order to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime occasion, we — on this hockey related blog — decided to put in order the 100 greatest Finnish NHL players of all time.
Enjoy.
100. Janne Ojanen W
The Tappara legend had a short NHL-career which spanned across 3 seasons, all with the New Jersey Devils.
Achievements:
98 GP, 44 Points (21+23)
99. Raimo Helminen C
Another Tampere legend, although for a different team, Raimo Helminen also had a NHL visit. In spite of the promising rookie season (40 points in 66 games) it ultimately faltered.
Achievements:
117 GP, 59 Points (13+46)
98. Iiro Järvi W
The HIFK star forward in the late 80' and early 90' had a visit in the NHL in 1988–1990, playing 116 games for the Winnipeg Jets.
Achievements:
116 GP, 61 Points (18+43)
97. Hannu Järvenpää W
Forward Hannu Järvenpää played 114 games for the Winnipeg Jets in the late 90's.
Achievements:
114 GP, 37 Points (11+26)
96. Sami Helenius D
The best pugilist beast from Finland, Sami Helenius gathered over 260 penalty minutes in just 155 games. The 155 games point got him 6 points, 2 goals and 4 assists.
Achievements:
155 GP, 6 Points (2+4)
95. Joel Armia W
Joel Armia didn’t pan out to be the point scoring forward he was expected to be with the Sabres, but has in change turned himself into a solid two-way type of a player with the Jets.
Achievements:
126 GP, 39 Points (18+21)
94. Artturi Lehkonen W
A second round pick of the Montreal Canadiens, Artturi Lehkonen scored 18 goals in his rookie season.
Achievements:
91 GP, 33 Points (20+13)
93. Markus Nutivaara D
Markus Nutivaara made his way to the NHL with hard work. Drafted in the 7th round in the 2015 draft, he was in the NHL just a year later.
Achievements:
87 GP, 16 Points (3+13)
92. Esa Lindell D
Esa Lindell made his breakthrough in the NHL in the 2016–17 season, scoring 18 points in 73 games.
Achievements:
105 GP, 28 Points (10+18)
91. Antti Aalto C
TPS-grown Antti Aalto played for the Anaheim Ducks at the change of the millennium.
Achievements:
151 GP, 28 Points (11+17)
90. Mika Noronen G
Mika Noronen served as a backup for the Buffalo Sabres for 3 seasons before the 04–05 lockout. Only Finnish goalie with a goal to his name (scored in 2004).
Achievements:
71 GP, 23 Wins, 3 shotouts
89. Jyrki Jokipakka D
Jyrki Jokipakka played a total of 150 games in the NHL, but ultimately couldn’t seal his spot and returned to Europe.
Achievements:
150 GP, 28 Points (3+25)
88. Jere Karalahti D
A physical, defensive defenseman, Jere Karalahti played a total of 149 games in the NHL.
Achievements:
149 GP, 27 Points (8+19)
87. Jani Hurme G
Drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 draft, Jani Hurme was a backup for the team that drafted him for two seasons and later for a season for the Florida Panthers.
Achievements:
76 GP, 23 Wins, 3 shotouts
86. Lasse Pirjetä C
A Columbus Blue Jacket draft pick from 2002, the reliable center Lasse Pirjeta played 108 games with the organisation. Later played for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Achievements:
146 GP, 50 Points (23+27)
85. Lasse Kukkonen D
A defensive minded defenseman, Lasse Kukkonen’s NHL career totaled into 4 seasons, split with the Blackhawks and Philadelphia.
Achievements:
159 GP, 22 Points (6+16)
84. Markus Mattson G
The first Finnish goalie in the NHL, Markus Mattson played his first game in 1979 with the Winnipeg Jets.
Achievements:
92 GP, 21 Wins, 6 shotouts
83. Tomi Kallio W
TPS star had a brief stint with in the NHL with mainly the Atlanta Trashers just after the organisation was founded.
Achievements:
140 GP, 55 Points (24+31)
82. Mika Alatalo W
Mika Alatalo got his NHL experience from the Phoenix Coyotes, where he played at the change of the millennium.
Achievements:
152 GP, 46 Points (17+29)
81. Sami Lepistö D
An offensive defenseman who couldn’t quite transport his talent into the NHL. Played for the Capitals, Coyotes, Blue Jackets and the Blackhawks in his career.
Achievements:
176 GP, 35 Points (6+29)
80. Antti Raanta G
A backup with first the Blackhawks and later the Rangers, Antti Raanta got a chance to be a starter with the Arizona Coyotes in the 2017–18 season.
Achievements:
107 GP, 51 Wins, 8 shotouts
79. Mikko Rantanen W
A Colorado Avalanche first round pick from the 2015 entry draft, Rantanen looks like establishing himself in 2017–18 after an impressive rookie season.
Achievements:
110 GP, 60 Points (28+32)
78. Tapio Levo D
The defenseman Tapio Levo only played a 107 in the NHL, but in his time he scored an impressive 69 points.
Achievements:
107 GP, 69 Points (16+53)
77. Raimo Summanen W
Raimo Summanen visited Edmonton and Vancouver in the late 80'. Won the Cup with the Oilers in 1984.
Achievements:
151 GP, 76 Points (36+40)
Stanley Cup Champion (1984)
76. Fredrik Norrena G
The goaltender Fredrik Norrena represented the Columbus Blue Jackets for 3 seasons in 2006–2009. Played 55 games in 2006–07.
Achievements:
100 GP, 35 Wins, 5 shotouts
75. Jari Grönstad D
The defenseman Jari Grönstad played in the NHL in the late 80' and early 90'. Played for 4 teams in 4 seasons.
Achievements:
185 GP, 34 Points (8+26)
74. Sebastian Aho C
Sebastian Aho impressed right away in his rookie season with the Carolina Hurricanes. The highly skilled forward scored 49 points in 82 games played.
Achievements:
108 GP, 68 Points (29+39)
73. Petteri Nokelainen C
A two-way player, Petteri Nokelainen represented the Islanders, Bruins, Ducks, Coyotes and the Montreal Canadiens in his relatively short NHL career.
Achievements:
245 GP, 41 Points (20+21)
72. Jussi Markkanen G
Jussi Markkanen played a total of 128 games in the NHL. He is best remembered from the Stanley Cup finals of 2006, where he came in after Dwayne Roloson injured himself.
Achievements:
128 GP, 43 Wins, 7 shotouts
71. Petteri Nummelin D
Petteri Nummelin made his name in the NHL with the Minnesota Wild in 2006–2008. A weird stat from his career: he is 8/10 in shootouts.
Achievements:
139 GP, 45 Points (9+36)
70. Joonas Donskoi W
A late bloomer, Joonas Donskoi made his NHL deput at the age of 23 with the San Jose Sharks. A skilled forward, Donskoi excels in playmaking and the shootouts.
Achievements:
160 GP, 65 Points (24+41)
69. Markus Granlund W,C
The brother of Mikael, Markus Granlund was drafted by the Flames in the second round of the 2011 draft. He was later traded to Vancouver where he made his NHL breakthrough in the 2016–17 season.
Achievements:
198 GP, 68 Points (39+29)
68. Mikko Leinonen C
Centerman Mikko Leinonen represented the New York Rangers in the early 80’s. Scored 51 points in the 1982–83 season.
Achievements:
162 GP, 109 Points (31+78)
67. Mikko Eloranta W
The TPS-star Mikko Eloranta had a visit in the NHL at the change of the millennium. His career lasted for 274 games, roughly split in half with the Bruins and the Kings.
Achievements:
264 GP, 76 Points (32+44)
66. Timo Blonqvist D
Drafted by the Washington Capitals in 1980, Timo Blomqvist played 223 games for the organisation. Later represented the New Jersey Devils.
Achievements:
247 GP, 57 Points (4+53)
65. Erik Haula C
An unconventional player, Erik Haula went to the NHL trough NCAA, which is uncommon for Finns. Played for the Minnesota Wild before being selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Expansion draft of 2017.
Achievements:
289 GP, 106 Points (51+55)
64. Pasi Nurminen G
Pasi Nurminen has the honor of being the first ever Finnish starting goalie in the NHL. This happened with the Atlanta Trashers in 2003–2005. His career was cut short by injuries.
Achievements:
125 GP, 48 Wins, 5 shotouts
63. Jori Lehterä C
A St. Louis draft pick from 2008, Jori Lehterä didn’t make his deput in the NHL until 2014. 3 years later he was traded from St. Louis to Philadelphia due to disappointing efforts.
Achievements:
235 GP, 102 Points (30+72)
62. Teuvo Teräväinen W,C
Drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round in the 2012 draft, Teuvo Teräväinen won the cup with them in 2015. Was later traded to Carolina.
Achievements:
222 GP, 108 Points (40+68)
Stanley Cup Champion (2015)
61. Kari Takko G
A goalie trailblazer, Kari Takko was one of the first Finnish goalies to attain a place in the roster from night to night. Played all of his career for the Minnesota North Stars.
Achievements:
142 GP, 37 Wins, 1 shotout
60. Leo Komarov W
A grinding type of agitator for the Toronto Maple Leafs since 2012. Usually annoying his opponents, but also has some scoring in him. His hot start to the 2015–16 season got him to the All-Star game.
Achievements:
281 GP, 110 Points (48+62)
NHL All-Star game (2016)
59. Ville Leino W
An artist on the ice, Ville Leino’s NHL career was founded on the spring of 2010 and the season that followed . Great efforts in the playoffs and the regular season with the Flyers landed him a big payday from the Buffalo Sabres. He couldn’t live up to it and vanished from the NHL.
Achievements:
286 GP, 119 Points (40+79)
58. Patrik Laine W
Heralded as the next goal scoring Finn, Patrik Laine scored 36 goals already in his rookie season. He finished second in the Calder trophy voting and played in the All-Star game.
Achievements:
101 GP, 86 Points (50+36)
NHL All-Star game (2017)
57. Ville Siren D
Ville Siren played his NHL career in the late 80', representing the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Minnesota North Stars for the 5 seasons. Suited more for the defensive game, Siren’s career high in points is 22 from the 1986–87 season with the Penguins. After his career Siren has worked as a scout the St. Louis Blues and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
290 GP, 82 Points (12+68)
56. Kari Eloranta D
The defenseman Kari Eloranta played in the NHL for 5 seasons. Apart from the 12 games played for the St. Louis Blues, Eloranta played for the Calgary Flames only in his career. A player with some offensive skill, he totaled 44 points in the 1982–1983 season.
Achievements:
267 GP, 116 Points (13+103)
55. Juha Ylönen C
Forward Juha Ylönen, in the change of the millennium, played 6 seasons in the NHL, totaling 341 games. Is best remembered from Phoenix Coytes.
Achievements:
341 GP, 102 Points (26+76)
54. Hannu Virta D
Hannu Virta was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round of the 1981 draft with the 38th overall pick. The Sabres were the only team that he played for in his career. He was with the team for 5 seasons before returning to Finland. Virta reached the 30 point plateau twice in his career.
Achievements:
245 GP, 126 Points (25+101)
53. Niko Kapanen C
A solid two-way player, Niko Kapanen played for the Dallas Stars from 2001 to 2006. After that he played with the Phoenix Coyotes for two more seasons before returning to Europe.
Achievements:
397 GP, 126 Points (36+90)
52. Antero Niittymäki G
Antero Niittymäki had opportunities to attain the starting goalies position several times in his career, but could never quite capitalize. His NHL career lasted 7 seasons.
Achievements:
234 GP, 95 Wins, 5 shotouts
51. Olli Määttä D
Olli Määttä was drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2012. Won the Stanley Cup back-to-back with the Pens in 2016 and 2017.
Achievements:
249 GP, 77 Points (19+58)
2 Time Stanley Cup Champion (2016, 2017)
50. Ville Peltonen W
Ville Peltonen’s NHL career was in two parts. Firstly he was with the Sharks and the Predators before the change of the millennium. After several seasons in Europe, he returned to the big league with the Florida Panthers for 2006–2009.
Achievements:
382 GP, 148 Points (52+96)
49. Antti Laaksonen W
A strong two-player, Laaksonen was mostly known from his time with the Minnesota Wild, where he played a total for 4 seasons. As a total, he played 8 seasons in the NHL.
Achievements:
483 GP, 168 Points (81+87)
48. Vesa Toskala G
Vesa Toskala didn’t manage to get the number one spot in San Jose, where he was drafted, and had to wait until 2007, when he signed with the Leafs, to get this opportunity. His performance, however, wasn’t all that promising and after short visits to Anaheim and Calgary, Toskala retired from the NHL.
266 GP, 129 Wins, 13 Shotouts
47. Sean Bergenheim W
High scoring in juniors and in the Finnish league resulted into a high draft selection for Sean Bergenheim. He was never able to bring that game to the NHL, and instead adopted a playing style more suitable for a bottom-6 role. He Is best remembered from his time with the Islanders and the Panthers.
Achievements:
506 GP, 180 Points (96+84)
46. Ville Nieminen W
A gritty, grinding forward, Ville Nieminen played a hardworking style of game. Drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 1997, Nieminen won the Stanley Cup with the team in 2001. From the spring he had 10 points in the 23 playoff-games. Nieminen also made the finals with Calgary in 2004.
Achievements:
385 GP, 117 Points (48+69)
Stanley Cup Champion (2001)
45. Matti Hagman C
The first Finnish player in the modern NHL, Matti Hagman played for the Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers in the late 70’s and the early 80'. A decent forward recording two 50+ point seasons for the Oilers in 1980–82. Father of Niklas.
Achievements:
237 GP, 145 Points (56+89)
44. Lauri Korpikoski W
An energy player, Lauri Korpikoski played a physical, grinding type of game. He was originally drafted by the New York Rangers in the first round in the 2004 draft. He never found his game in New York, but after switching to Phoenix it come together. He represented the team for 6 seasons.
Achievements:
609 GP, 201 Points (86+115)
43. Antti Miettinen W
Drafted by the Dallas Stars in the 2000, Miettinen made his NHL deput with the team in 2003–04 season. He played 3 more seasons with the Stars before signing with Minnesota in 2008. In the following season he scored his personal point record with 44 points in 82 games.
Achievements:
539 GP, 230 Points (97+133)
42. Mikko Mäkelä W
Mikko Mäkelä entered the National Hockey League with the New York Islanders in the 1985–86 season. A good offensive player, Mäkelä scored his career high in points in the 1987–88 season with 76 points in 73 games. An Islander for most of his time in the NHL, but also played for the LA kings, Buffalo Sabres and the Boston Bruins.
Achievements:
423 GP, 265 Points (118+147)
41. Sami Vatanen D
A small and skilled defenseman, Sami Vatanen was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the 4th round of the 2009 draft. A year later, he made his breakthrough in the Finnish league, and it was clear from that point onward that he would turn out to be a good player in the NHL. A couple of years later that has turned out correct; Vatanen is an important piece in the Ducks team.
286 GP, 126 Points (33+93)
40. Rasmus Ristolainen D
Taken in the 2013 draft 8th overall, Rasmus Ristolainen has quickly established himself as a key player with the Buffalo Sabres. An efficient player on both ends of the ice, Ristolainen already has two 40 point seasons under his belt.
Achievements:
292 GP, 117 Points (25+92)
39. Pentti Lund C
A true trailblazer, Pentti Lund has the official record for being the first ever Finnish player in the NHL. He is also the first ever Finn to win a major trophy in the league, winning the Calder Trophy in 1949 with the New York Rangers. In his career he also played for the Boston Bruins.
Achievements:
GP 259, 99 Points (44+55)
Calder Trophy (1949)
38. Pekka Rautakallio D
Before Pekka Rautakallio, there hadn’t been too many Finns in the North America. He started his career with the Phoenix Roadrunners in the WHA. As his only NHL team he represented Atlanta/Calgary flames from 1979 to 1982. A offensive defenseman, Rautakallio scored his highest point total (68) in his last season in the league.
235 GP, 154 Points (33+121)
NHL All-Star game (1982)
37. Jarkko Ruutu W
The fan percpective on Jarkko Ruutu was varied. If he was on your team, you probably were a fan; if he was on the opposition, you were probably just as mad as the players on your team. A great agitator, Ruutu knew how get under opponents skin. This was done throughout his career, which lasted 11 seasons in the NHL.
Achievements:
652 GP, 142 Points (58+84)
36. Aki-Petteri Berg D
Drafted by the LA Kings third overall in the 1995 draft, the hopes were high for Aki-Petteri Berg. Those never quite materialized as Berg couldn’t deliver in the NHL offensively, instead becoming a solid defensive defensemen for the Kings and later for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
606 GP, 85 Points (15+70)
35. Antti Niemi G
As an undrafted player, Antti Niemi had to get to the NHL using the long way around. He broke into the Chicago Blackhawks roster in the 2009–10 season, stealing the starting goalies job from Christobal Huet. In the same season he won the Stanley Cup with the team, becoming the first Finnish goalie ever to do so. From Chicago he made his way to Dallas, thorough San Jose.
430 GP, 227 Wins, 35 shotouts
Stanley Cup Champion (2010)
34. Aleksander Barkov C
Aleksander Barkov was selected 2nd overall in the 2013 draft, and at the time it was seen by some as a slight reach. Those critics have since been silent. Barkov has develop into a solid first line center for the Florida Panthers. He has had injury trouble in his career, which has put him out of the spotlight, but right now Barkov is the best Finnish player in the NHL.
279 GP, 197 Points (83+114)
33. Mikael Granlund C,W
Picking Mikael Granlund 9th overall in the 2010 draft, the Minnesota Wild had high hopes for him, and now it seems like Granlund is growing into those expectations. In the 2016–17 season he scored a career high 69 points.
343 GP, 217 Points (63+154)
32. Janne Laukkanen D
Defenseman Janne Laukkanen played over 400 games in his NHL career, representing the Colorado Avalanche, the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the process. All-around type of player who was solid in his own end but could also chip in offensively if needed.
407 GP, 121 Points (22+99)
31. Ossi Väänänen D
A physical, defensive defenseman, Ossi Väänänen played a total of 8 seasons in the NHL. Most of these years he was representing either Arizona or Colorado. Out of all the Finnish defensemen, Väänänen ranks 10th in games played.
Achievements:
479 GP, 68 Points (13+55)
30. Kari Lehtonen G
Kari Lehtonen, before his draft, was regarded as one of the better goalie prospects. That led to a long NHL career that is still going on. The pre-draft hype — which was warranted at the time — led to Lehtonen being drafted by the Atlanta Trashers second overall in the 2002 draft. For Atlanta he was a solid, underrated, starter. What hindered him were the injuries he suffered during his time. From Atlanta he made his way to the Dallas Stars in 2010. Lehtonen leads all the Finnish goalies in points scored with 28.
Achievements:
621 GP, 298 Wins, 37 Shotouts
29. Antti Miettinen W
A solid two way player who represented the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and the Winnipeg Jets in his career. He played a total of 535 games in the National Hockey League reaching the 20 goal mark in one season in his career. The 40 point plateau was reached twice by Miettinen.
539 GP, 230 Points (97+133)
28. Niklas Hagman W
Niklas Hagman was a speedy winger who had some scoring in his game. He started his career in 2001 with the Florida Panthers, but he is best remembered from his time in Toronto, where he played between 2008 and 2010. His time with the Maple Leafs was his best scoring wise, as he had 3 consecutive 20 goal seasons from 07–08 to 09–10. Hagman played his last game in the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks in 2012.
Achievements:
770 GP, 301 Points (147+154)
27. Joni Pitkänen D
Joni Pitkänen played a big role in his day registering big point totals from season to season with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Philadelphia Flyers. An offensive type of defensemen, Pitkänen enjoyed taking part in his team’s attacks. His smooth-skating style would certainly fit today’s NHL well. Unfortunately, his career was cut short when he crashed hard into the boards while chasing an icing. The incident led the NHL to change it’s rules on icing.
Achievements:
535 GP, 282 Points (57+225)
26. Niklas Bäckström G
An undrafted late bloomer, Niklas Bäckstöm proved to be some find for the Minnesota Wild. He made his NHL deput in 2006 at the age of 28. He secured the position of Wild’s starting goalies right away with a save percentage of 92.9 from that season. He also won the Jennings trophy from the same season. He participated in the NHL All-Star game in 2009.
Achievements:
413 GP, 196 Wins, 38 shotouts
Jennings trophy (2007)
NHL All-Star game (2009)
25. Tuomo Ruutu W
Tuomo Ruutu didn’t quite reach the heights he was expected to when he was drafted 9th overall by the Chicago Blakchawks in 2001, but he did manage to carve out a solid NHL career for himself. His best years came in Carolina, where he was traded from Chicago in 2008. His career high in points is 57 from the 2010–2011 seasons. Along with his brother Jarkko, he forms the greatest Finnish hockey brotherhood, after the Koivu’s.
Achievements:
735 GP, 346 Points (146+200)
24. Valtteri Filppula C
A two-way player with a playmaking ability, Valtteri Filppula bloomed late. He was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 2002 in the 3rd round, but he made the NHL full time in 2006–07 season and become an effective player for the Red Wings a year later. His best personal season came in 2011–12, when he scored 23 goals and 66 points. He later played for Tampa Bay Lighting and Philadelphia Flyers in his career. He won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008.
Achievements:
822 GP, 443 Points (164+279)
Stanley Cup Champion (2008)
23. Risto Siltanen D
A skillful offensive defenseman, Risto Siltanen started his career in North-America with the Edmonton Oilers in the late 70’s. He was with the team until the early 80’s, but signed with the Hartford Whalers before the Oilers turned into a dynasty. While they were winning cups, playoff success wasn’t there for the Whalers as they didn’t make the playoffs in Siltanen’s time. His final two years were spent with the Quebec Nordiques.
Achievements:
562 GP, 355 Points (90+265)
22. Ilkka Sinisalo W
A star player for the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1980', Ilkka Sinisalo played a key part in the team who made the finals twice during the decade. His loyalty to the organisation continued after his retirement as he worked for the organisation as a European scout from 2005 up until his passing away in 2017, just at the age of 58.
Achievements:
582 GP, 426 Points (204+222)
21. Toni Lydman D
A solid two way defenseman for 3 different teams in his career. Toni Lydman started in Calgary in the year 2000 and was with the team when they made the Stanley Cup Finals few years after. After the 2005–04 lockout Lydman signed with the Buffalo Sabres, where he spent the next 5 seasons, before finishing his career in Anaheim for 3 more seasons.
Achievements:
847 GP, 242 Points (36+206)
20. Petri Skriko W
A natural goal scorer, Petri Skriko broke the 30 goal limit 4 times in his NHL career. All of these seasons were consecutive as well, and they were all for the Vancouver Ganucks, who drafted him 1981. One season prior to the goal streak, Skriko also hit the 20 goal mark on his rookie season in 1984–1985. He played a total of 7 seasons for the ‘Nucks, after which he was traded to Boston. He didn’t stay in Beantown for too long and after short visits to Winnipeg and San Jose, Skriko retired from the NHL.
541 GP, 405 Points (183+222)
19. Sami Salo D
Sami Salo’s best asset in the game of hockey was his strong slap shot, wich resulted into him scoring a good amount of goals for a defenseman. Most of these goals were scored for the Vancouver Ganucks, where Salo played most of his time in the NHL. In his career, he missed several games due to injuries and was forced into retirement because of them.
Achievements:
878 GP, 339 Points (99+240)
18. Christian Ruuttu C
Christian Ruuttu was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in 1983. He made his NHL deput with the team in 1986 and was an instant success. In his first season, Ruuttu scored 65 points in 76 games played. The success would continue as Ruuttu would go on to have 71, 60 and 60 points in the following seasons. One of the Finnish stars in the late 80', there weren’t many who could score points like Ruuttu did. As a total his career in the NHL lasted 9 seasons,with 432 points scored.
Achievements:
621 GP, 432 Points (134+298)
17. Janne Niinimaa D
When it come to Niinimaa if was either feast or famine. Sometimes he would wow you with an unexpectedly good play that drove the offense forwards. He did enough of these plays to post 3 seasons where he scored over 40 points. They also got him to the All-Star game in 2001. Other times he would make bonehead mistakes that would drive fans and coaches up the wall. In spite of this he’s a liked figure, especially in Edmonton, where he played most of his career.
Achievements:
741 GP, 319 Points (54+265)
NHL All-Star game (2001)
16. Jussi Jokinen W,C
The Swiss army knife of NHL players, Jussi Jokinen was an all-around player who represented several teams in his career. Jokinen started his career in Dallas after the 2005–04 lockout and scored 55 points right away. Jokinen showed promise, but he couldn’t quite reproduce the points of his rookie season until 5 years later in Carolina, where he scored 30 goals and 65 points. In Carolina Jokinen had his best years, but a slow start to the 2012–13 seasons resulted into him being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. There he had an offensive resurgence and it got him a new deal with the Florida Panthers. When his point totals veined again he was bought out and then signed with the Edmonton Oilers.
Achievements:
916 GP, 550 Points (187+363)
15. Sami Kapanen W
In his career Sami Kapanen become known for his speed first and foremost. He played two All-Star games in his career and on both times he came away with victory in the fastest skater competition. Besides skating Kapanen had some offence in him. He scored 5 consecutive 20 goal seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, who drafted him 1995 when they still were the Hardford Whalers. After 8 seasons with the organisation he joined the Philadelphia Flyers, but didn’t have the same success as he did in Carolina. After 4 more seasons with Philadelphia, Kapanen retired from the NHL.
Achievements:
831 GP, 458 Points (189+269)
2 NHL All-Star games
14. Tuukka Rask G
The first years of Tuukka Rask’s career was spent backing up Tim Thomas with the Boston Bruins. However, this spoke more to the goodness of Thomas than to that of Rask. When Thomas eventually retired, Rask — much like was expected — established himself as a new starter for the Bruins and as an elite goaltender in the NHL. This was certified in 2014, when Rask was awarded the Vezina trophy for being the best goaltender in the NHL that season. In 2017 Rask played in the NHL All-Star game. He is also a Stanley Cup Champion from 2011, backing up Thomas in that run.
Achievements:
411 GP, 209 Wins, 39 shotouts
Stanley Cup Champion (2011)
Vezina Trophy (2014)
NHL All-Star game (2017)
13. Pekka Rinne G
Originally, Pekka Rinne was drafted based on a warm up in the Finnish league. He was backing up Nicklas Backström and the scouts had to settle for what they saw in the pre-game show. It was impressive enough for the Nashville Predators to take a flier at him at the 8th round of the 2004 NHL entry draft. It turned out to be the biggest draft steal in the organisation’s history. In the 2007–08 season, Rinne would establish himself as the starter, a position he is still holding a decade later. In his unlikely career, he has been nominated for the Vezina Trophy on 3 separate occasions, finishing second in 2011 and in 2015. In the 2017 NHL playoffs, Rinne was one of the biggest reasons why Nashville made the Stanley Cup finals finals. He posted a save percentage of 93.0 from the spring. Rinne leads all the Finnish goalies in shotouts.
Achievements:
530 GP, 285 Wins, 45 shotouts
2 NHL All-Star games
12. Reijo Ruotsalainen D
Reijo Ruotsalainen didn’t have the longest NHL career, but he made the most of his short time in the league. Known as a smooth skating offensive defenseman, Ruotsalainen was often the one pacing the game, this was in a time when it wasn’t in the mainstream for a defenseman like it is nowadays. As a more of an attacking type of defeseman, he often was participating in the attack as an extra forward. This resulted in 5 55+ point seasons. Besides racking up points, Ruotsalainen also won the Stanley Cup on two separate occasions, first with the Oilers in 1987 and second time with the Rangers in 1990.
Achievements:
446 GP, 344 Points (107+237)
2 Time Stanley Cup Champion (1987, 1990)
NHL All-Star game (1986)
11. Jyrki Lumme D
A Montreal Canadiens draft pick from the 1986 draft, Jyrki Lumme made a name for himself with his offensive game. He started in Montreal, but it didn’t last for too long as he was traded to the Vancouver Ganucks just a couple of seasons into his career. As a total he played 9 seasons with them and it is where he spent the best years of his career. Between the years 1991 and 1996, Lumme had 4 straight over 40 point seasons, the lockout year of 1994–95 excluded. In the year of 1994, Lumme also made the Stanley Cup finals with the Ganucks, but they were defeated in seven games by the New York Rangers. From Vancouver Lumme made his way to Phoenix, where he spent 3 seasons ahead of short visits to Dallas and Toronto. Lumme retired from the NHL in 2003, after having played 985 games and scored 468 points.
Achievements:
985 GP, 468 Points (114+354)
10. Mikko Koivu C
One of the few Finnish players who has spent their entire career — thus far — with one organisation is Mikko Koivu. He was drafted by the Minnesota Wild 6th overall in 2001, 16 years and 816 games later he is the team captain, a position he has held since 2009. He shares a lot of similarities with his bother Saku, who will be introduced later in the list. He too is a long time team captain; he is not regarded as a point scoring forward in spite of recording 3 over 60 point seasons, he is rather a strong two-way presence; Koivu was nominated for the Selke Trophy, which is awarded for the best defensive forward, in 2017.
Achievements:
870 GP, 629 Points (183+446)
NHL All-Star game ((2012) invited, didn’t play)
9. Jere Lehtinen W
Besides Koivu, another Finn who spent all of his time in the NHL with one team is Jere Lehtinen, who only played for the Dallas Stars. Lehtinen was drafted when the organisation was still in Minnesota, but when he come over to North America, they had already moved to Dallas. In his career Lehtinen never made a name for himself as an offensive powerhouse, but rather, he had a knack for the defensive game, in spite of being a winger. This is the role he played for Dallas throughout his career. It’s a role he played well, winning the Selke trophy 3 times. Only Bob Gainey and Patrice Bergeron have more Selke trophys to their name. In spite of playing a lengthy NHL career (14 seasons), Lehtinen’s time was riddled with injuries and thus he only played a total of 875 games in the league. Lehtinen won the Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1999, and had his number (26) retired by the organisation in 2017.
Achievements:
875 GP, 514 Points (243+271)
Stanley Cup Champion (1999)
3 time Selke Trophy winner (1998, 1999, 2003)
Number retired by the Dallas Stars
8. Esa Tikkanen W
Throughout his career Esa Tikkanen become known as one the hockey’s finest agitators; Constantly getting under opponents skins and chirping them with his so-called “Tiki-Talk”. It was a language only Tikkanen could understand. The meaning of his message was never clear to his opponents; for them, the only thing that they saw was Tikkanen constantly yapping at them. It famously drove Wayne Gretzky nuts when he was with the Kings. Besides yapping, Tikkanen also could score points and perform under pressure. He scored 70 points 3 times and had 3 more seasons where he scored over 60 points. In the Stanley Cup winning dynasty of the Edmonton Oilers, Tikkanen was a plaoff performer: In the Playoffs of 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991 Tikkanen scored a combined 75 points in just 66 games.
Achievements:
877 GP, 630 Points (244+385)4 Time Stanley Cup Champion (1987, 1988, 1990, 1994)
7. Olli Jokinen C
Olli Jokinen is somewhat of a divisive figure in Finnish hockey-circles due to reported attitude problems, off-ice antics and negative feedback from former teammates. How much of this is true and how much is false is a conversation for another day, what we ought to recognize amids the banter, is that Olli Jokinen is one of the best Finnish NHL-players of all time. Amidst the Finns, Jokinen sits 3rd alltime in goals and 4th alltime in points. In games played he is also 4th. Most of the goals and points were scored with the Florida Panters, the team where Jokinen found himself as a hockey player, putting behind the struggles he had with the New York Islanders and the Los Angeles Kings. His time in Florida includes 4 30+ goal seasons. In 2003 Jokinen participated in the NHL All-Star game as a member of the Panthers. In the franchise’s history Jokinen is the all time leader in both goals and points.
Achievements:
1231 GP, 750 Points (321+429)
NHL All-Star game (2002–2003)
6. Kimmo Timonen D
A diminutive defenseman, Kimmo Timonen paved way to small, skilled defensensemen in the NHL. He was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1993, but he never gained the organisations’s vote of confidence and as a result he never got signed. Later, he found a team with Nashville Predators, who had just entered the NHL and were looking for players. Timonen started establishing himself in the organisation and after the change of the millennium he was the most important defenseman in the team. It was that way until 2007, when he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. With them, Timonen made the Stanley Cup finals in 2010, but his team lost to the Chicago Blackhawks. Ironically, Timonen would later won the Cup with the Hawks in 2015, and retired after that victory.
Achievements:
1108 GP, 571 Points (117+454)
Stanley Cup Champion (2015)
3 NHL All-Star games
5. Miikka Kiprusoff G
At one point Mikka Kiprusoff’s NHL career looked unlikely. In San Jose he was stuck behind Evgeni Nabokov and Vesa Toskala. It was when he was traded to Calgary that his career took flight. In the same season he had struggled in San Jose, but in Calgary he was an instant success, and lead the Flames to the Stanley Cup Finals on that season. It was that season where he established himself as the number one goalie for the Flames for the foreseeable future. He was a workhorse for the Flames. Starting from 05–06 season, he played 7 consecutive seasons where he would start 70+ games. He played well, too, and was awarded the Vezina trophy in the 2005–2006 season, becoming the first Finnish goalie to achieve the honor.
Achievements:
623 GP, 319 Wins, 44 Shotouts
NHL All-Star Game (2006)
Vezina Trophy (2006)
Jennish Trophy (2006)
4. Teppo Numminen D
When discussing the great Finnish players Teppo Numminen always seems to go unmentioned being behind the top 3. This shouldn’t be the case as Numminen is the best Finnish defenseman of all time. No other Finnish defender has played more games or scored more points in the league as Numminen has. “Repo man” made his name with the Winnipeg Jets and then later the Phoenix Coyotes. As a total he played 15 seasons for the franchise. In this time he was arguably their most important defenseman, racking up big points season to season. His loyalty to the team led to his jersey retirement in 2010, joining only Teemu Selänne, Jari Kurri and Jere Lehtinen who have had the same honor.
Achievements:
1372 GP, 637 Points (117+520)
3 NHL All-Star Games
Number retired by the Arizona Coyotes
3. Saku Koivu C
The center Saku Koivu always faced his size as his biggest obstacle in his career. Luckily for Koivu, what he lacked in size was made up in heart and skill. This encouraged the Montreal Canadiens to draft him with their 21st overall pick in 1993. The pick turned good for them as Koivu would go on to captain the franchise for a decade. A loved figure in Montreal, evidenced by the standing ovation he received when returning from cancer in 2002.
Koivu would later part ways with Montreal in order to play in Anaheim with his good friend Teemu Selänne, with whom he had develop a chemistry in the Finnish national team. Anaheim would be the last team that he played for as he retired in the same year as Selänne. The ten years he spent as a captain is an all time Finnish record.
Achievements:
1124 GP, 832 Points (255+577)
NHL All-Star Game (1997)
Bill Masterton Trophy (2002)
King Clancy Trophy (2008)
2. Jari Kurri W
Wayne Gretzky’s right hand man, Jari Kurri was one of the few who could keep up with the best player of all time. His records speak for themselves: he has recorded 10 consecutive 30 goal seasons from 1980 to 1990. His all time point record is 135 from the 1984–85 season, his goal record is 71 from the same season, a number reached only by 6 other players from one season. A member of the Oilers’ dynasty, Kurri played a crucial role for the team. After all of the glory with the Oilers, Kurri — like Gretzky — was traded to Los Angeles. There he continued to play well and went to the Stanley Cup finals with the team in 1992–93 season. After 5 seasons with the Kings, Kurri went to have short, one season visits with New York, Anaheim and Colorado. As Kurri retired, he was the leading Finnish player in goals and points out of all the Finnish players, eventually passed only by Teemu Selänne. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and his jersey has been retired by the Edmonton Oilers.
Achievements:
1251 GP, 1398 Points (601+797)
5 time Stanley Cup champion (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990)
Hockey Hall of fame (inducted 2001)
9 NHL All-Star Gmes
Goal scoring title (1986)
Lady Byng Trophy (1985)
Number retired by the Edmonton Oilers
- Teemu Selänne W
The greatest Finnish hockey player of all time, Teemu Selänne,”the Finnish Flash” . To say that Selänne made wawes in his first season would be an understatement. His rookie season with the Winnipeg Jets resulted into 76 goals, a total which won’t be seen again from a rookie. From Winnipeg he was traded to Anaheim, which was to be his home in North America. With the then Mighty Ducks, Selänne formed one of the deadliest duos in the NHL with Paul Karya. After 6 years in California, Selänne had short visits in San Jose and Colorado, but they were troubled by increased knee injuries, which threatened to cut Selänne’s career short. The estimate at the time was a couple of more years, tops. After the lockout of 04–05, he returned to Anaheim. Perhaps it was the warming Californian sun or something completely different, but the knee injuries never returned and Selänne went on to have a productive run of seasons. He won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007 and retired in 2014. Selänne scored 684 goals during his career, which ranks him 11th all-time. He got his number (8) retired by the Ducks in 2015 and he was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the 2017 class.
Achievements:
1451 GP, 1457 Points (684+773)
Stanley Cup Champion (2007)
Hockey Hall of Fame (inducted 2017)
11 NHL All-Star Games
Calder Trophy winner (1993)
3 Time Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy winner (1993, 1998, 1999)
Bill Masterton Trophy winner (2006)
Number retired by the Anaheim Ducks
Stats and information for this article can be found from the following sources: