Janne Niinimaa
Encyclopedia
Janne Niinimaa is a professional ice hockey
defenceman
who has played over 700 games in the NHL
. He was selected in the second round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft
, 36th overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers
. Niinimaa is currently playing with Luleå HF
in the Swedish
elite league Elitserien
.
Following three seasons playing with Jokerit
in Helsinki
, Finland
, Niinimaa made his debut with the Flyers in the 1996–97 NHL season, posting 44 points and a +12 rating, and being named to the NHL All-Rookie Team
.
The following season Niinimaa was traded to the Edmonton Oilers
, where he spent parts of six seasons. He earned himself an All-Star
appearance in the 2000–01 NHL regular season. He was traded to the New York Islanders
in 2003 and then was traded to the Dallas Stars
and Montreal Canadiens
. During the NHL lockout, Niinimaa returned to play in his native Finland. Niinimaa has twice represented Finland at the Winter Olympics, winning a bronze medal in 1998
, and was on the national team when Finland won its first World Championship
gold medal.
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...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
who has played over 700 games 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...
. He was selected in the second round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft
1993 NHL Entry Draft
The 1993 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 26, 1993, at the Colisee de Quebec in Quebec City, Quebec.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise specified.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
, 36th overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Niinimaa is currently playing with Luleå HF
Luleå HF
Luleå Hockeyförening is an ice hockey club from Luleå, Sweden. Luleå is the most northern club in the league and has played in Elitserien constantly since the 1984-85 season. They have won the Swedish championships once, in 1996...
in the 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....
elite league Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
.
Following three seasons playing with 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...
in 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...
, 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...
, Niinimaa made his debut with the Flyers in the 1996–97 NHL season, posting 44 points and a +12 rating, and being named to the NHL All-Rookie Team
NHL All-Rookie Team
The NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year...
.
The following season Niinimaa was traded to the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, where he spent parts of six seasons. He earned himself an All-Star
51st National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 51st National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on February 4, 2001, at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The final score was North America 14, World 12.-Super Skills Competition:...
appearance in the 2000–01 NHL regular season. He was traded to 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...
in 2003 and then was traded to the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
and Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. During the NHL lockout, Niinimaa returned to play in his native Finland. Niinimaa has twice represented Finland at the Winter Olympics, winning a bronze medal in 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...
, and was on the national team when Finland won its first World Championship
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...
gold medal.
Transactions
- June 26, 1993 – Drafted by the Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
- March 24, 1998 – Traded by Philadelphia to the Edmonton OilersEdmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in exchange for Dan McGillisDan McGillisDaniel Stewart McGillis is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who most recently played for Adler Mannheim of the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga...
and a 2nd round draft pick (Philadelphia selected Jason Beckett) - March 11, 2003 – Traded by the Edmonton OilersEdmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
to the New York IslandersNew York IslandersThe 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...
along with a second round draft pick (New York selected Evgeni Tunik) in exchange for Brad IsbisterBrad IsbisterBrad Isbister is a retired professional ice hockey left winger who played 541 regular season games in the National Hockey League. He is currently an assistant coach for the Calgary Dinos men's ice hockey team.-Playing career:...
and Raffi TorresRaffi TorresRaphael "Raffi" Torres is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by the New York Islanders fifth overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He has additionally played in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers,... - January 10, 2005 – Traded by the New York IslandersNew York IslandersThe 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...
to the Dallas StarsDallas StarsThe Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
along with a fifth round draft pick in exchange for John ErskineJohn Erskine (hockey player)John Erskine is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League with the Washington Capitals.-Playing career:...
and a second round draft pick. - September 30, 2006 – Traded by the Dallas StarsDallas StarsThe Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
along with a fifth round pick in 2007 to the Montreal CanadiensMontreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in exchange for Mike RibeiroMike RibeiroMichael Ribeiro is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League . Ribeiro is of Portuguese ancestry.-Playing career:...
and a 2008 sixth round pick. - September 14, 2007 – Signed by HC DavosHC DavosHockey Club Davos is a professional Swiss ice hockey club based in Davos, Switzerland. Davos play in the Swiss National League A, which is ranked as Europe's sixth best ice hockey league. The team is usually a strong force in the league and often bolster their roster with Swiss national team...
of the Swiss National League. - August 14, 2008 – Signed by KärpätKärpätOulun 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:...
of the 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...
. - November 27, 2008 – Signed by SCL TigersSCL TigersSC Langnau Tigers are a professional ice hockey team from Langnau im Emmental, Switzerland. They have played in Switzerland's top hockey level, National League A, since last promotion in 1998.-History:-Champions:*NDA Championship : 1976...
of the Swiss National League. - August 16, 2009 – Signed by HV71HV71HV71, often referred to as just HV, is a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Jönköping, playing in the Swedish elite league Elitserien...
of ElitserienElitserienElitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
.
Career statistics
| 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 | ||
| 1993–94 | 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... |
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... |
45 | 3 | 8 | 11 | — | 24 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 4 | ||
| 1994–95 | Jokerit | SM-l | 42 | 7 | 10 | 17 | — | 36 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | — | 35 | ||
| 1995–96 | Jokerit | SM-l | 49 | 5 | 15 | 20 | — | 79 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 12 | ||
| 1996–97 | Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
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... |
77 | 4 | 40 | 44 | +12 | 58 | 19 | 1 | 12 | 13 | +3 | 16 | ||
| 1997–98 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 66 | 3 | 31 | 34 | +6 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
NHL | 11 | 1 | 8 | 9 | +7 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +3 | 12 | ||
| 1998–99 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 81 | 4 | 24 | 28 | +7 | 88 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 2 | ||
| 1999–00 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 81 | 8 | 25 | 33 | +14 | 89 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +1 | 2 | ||
| 2000–01 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 82 | 12 | 34 | 46 | -6 | 90 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -1 | 6 | ||
| 2001–02 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 81 | 5 | 39 | 44 | +13 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 63 | 4 | 24 | 28 | -7 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | 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 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -2 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -4 | 12 | ||
| 2003–04 | New York Islanders | NHL | 82 | 9 | 19 | 28 | +12 | 64 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -2 | 2 | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 Elitserien season The 2004–05 Elitserien season was the 30th season of Elitserien. It started on September 20, 2004, with the regular season ending March 1, 2005. The playoffs of the 81st Swedish Championship ended on April 11, with Frölunda HC taking the championship.... |
Malmö Redhawks Malmö Redhawks The Malmö Redhawks is an ice hockey club from Malmö, Sweden. The team is currently playing in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan. Malmö has played 16 seasons in the top Swedish league Elitserien .-History:... |
SEL Elitserien Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden... |
10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | -2 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | 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:... |
SM-l | 26 | 3 | 10 | 13 | +14 | 30 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 5 | +3 | 8 | ||
| 2005–06 | New York Islanders | NHL | 41 | 1 | 9 | 10 | -7 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
NHL | 22 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -5 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 2006–07 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
NHL | 41 | 0 | 3 | 3 | -13 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | HC Davos HC Davos Hockey Club Davos is a professional Swiss ice hockey club based in Davos, Switzerland. Davos play in the Swiss National League A, which is ranked as Europe's sixth best ice hockey league. The team is usually a strong force in the league and often bolster their roster with Swiss national team... |
NLA | 48 | 9 | 28 | 37 | — | 127 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | SCL Tigers SCL Tigers SC Langnau Tigers are a professional ice hockey team from Langnau im Emmental, Switzerland. They have played in Switzerland's top hockey level, National League A, since last promotion in 1998.-History:-Champions:*NDA Championship : 1976... |
NLA | 20 | 8 | 10 | 18 | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 Elitserien season The 2009–10 Elitserien season was the 35th season of Elitserien. It started on September 21, 2009 and ended on March 13, 2010. The playoffs started on March 18, 2010 and ended on April 24, 2010. HV71 won the playoffs, beating Timrå IK 4–1 in the quarter final series, Skellefteå AIK 4–1 in the semi... |
HV71 HV71 HV71, often referred to as just HV, is a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Jönköping, playing in the Swedish elite league Elitserien... |
SEL | 43 | 4 | 13 | 17 | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 741 | 54 | 265 | 319 | +43 | 733 | 59 | 3 | 21 | 24 | -2 | 60 | ||||
| SM-liiga totals | 162 | 18 | 43 | 61 | — | 169 | 45 | 2 | 12 | 14 | +3 | 59 | ||||
| Elitserien totals | 53 | 4 | 20 | 24 | — | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| NLA totals | 68 | 17 | 38 | 55 | 147 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||