Petteri Nummelin

Infobox Ice Hockey Player


team = 'HC Lugano'
former_teams = HC Davos
NHL
Minnesota Wild
Columbus Blue Jackets
SM-liiga
Reipas
TPS
Elitserien
Frölunda HC
league = Nationalliga A
position = Defence
shoots = Left
height_ft = 5
height_in = 10
weight_lb = 188
nickname = Petu
nationality = FIN
birth_date = Birth date and age|1972|11|25|mf=y
birth_place = Turku, Finland
draft = 133rd overall
draft_year = 2000
draft_team = Columbus Blue Jackets
career_start = 1992

Petteri Nummelin (born November 25, 1972 in Turku, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman, and a former NHL defenceman for the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets. He currently plays for HC Lugano of the Swiss Nationalliga A. He was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets as their fifth-round pick, #133 overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Nummelin has represented Finland numerous times in international play, including the 1995 Ice Hockey World Championships where Finland won their only gold medal to date.

Nummelin is the son of Timo Nummelin, a Finnish ice hockey hall of famer.

Playing career

Career in Finland

Petteri Nummelin started playing ice hockey in his hometown Turku and played for a-junior team of TPS for 3 seasons after which he played for Kiekko-67 in the 1. Division. Nummelin debuted in the SM-Liiga during the 1992–93 Season which he spent playing partly for TPS and Reipas. Nummelin also played in Kiekko-67 and TPS A-Junior team during the season. After the 1992–93 season Nummelin stayed in TPS for 2 more seasons (93–95) and moved to play in Sweden after winning the world championship for Finland.

Career in Sweden

After successful World Championship tournament in 1995 Nummelin attracted some international publicity and was contracted by Frölunda HC, a Swedish team playing in the Elitserien. Nummelin spent total of 2 seasons in Sweden.

Career in Switzerland

In 1997 Nummelin joined HC Davos, one of the most successful Swiss teams to date. Nummelin played in HC Davos for 3 seasons (1997–2000) during the time Nummelin established himself as a star in Switzerland and at the end of 1999–2000 Season Nummelin received an offer from the NHL. Nummelin Played in NHL for Columbus Blue Jackets for the 2000–2001 season and returned to Switzerland and joined HC Lugano for 2001–2002 season. Nummelin played in Lugano for 5 seasons (2001–06) and won several honors during that time, such as the overall points ranking in 2004 and the Swiss championship in 2003 and 2006.Since the season of 2008–2009, he comes back to Switzerland for HC Lugano.

NHL career

Nummelin has played for one season in the NHL during the 2000–2001 NHL Season for the Columbus Blue JacketsIn 2006, after spending 5 seasons in Switzerland, Nummelin returned to the NHL and signed with the Minnesota Wild, partially due to strong encouragement by Minnesota Wild teammate, fellow countryman and friend Mikko Koivu. Known as Nummy by fans and Petu on the ice, Nummelin has enjoyed a resurgence in his NHL career in the early stages of the 2006–07 NHL season.

Although Nummelin has displayed both strong offensive and defensive contribution during regulation play, many consider his strongest asset his ability to score in the overtime shootout. As of 7 December 2006, Nummelin has converted six shootout goals in all six of his attempts, beating some of the NHL's best goalies including Nikolai Khabibulin, Roberto Luongo and Vezina winner Miikka Kiprusoff. Nummelin's success is credited to what Wild fans have dubbed "The Shoulder Shake," a deke in which Nummelin shifts his shoulders back and forth without actually moving the puck, forcing the goaltender to move first, Nummelin then reacts to the goalie's movement putting the puck in the net with the backhand or forehand. Nummelin's opportunity in the shootout initially came as a shock to fans and teammates when Minnesota Wild head coach Jacques Lemaire listed him third in the shootout lineup against the Vancouver Canucks on 10 October 2006, in the place normally given to Marian Gaborik (the first three shooters are often reserved for the team's best goal scorers). Nummelin's conversion was the deciding goal to end the shootout and win the game for the Wild. Nummelin is currently the all-time NHL shoot-out conversion leader for players with more than two attempts, with a rate of 89% (8 for 9).

After the 2007–08 NHL season, Nummelin's contract with the Wild expired, and at 35 years of age he signed a 3-year contract with his former Swiss team HC Lugano. [ [http://www.iltasanomat.fi/urheilu/uutinen.asp?id=1529183 Lugano vahvisti Petteri Nummelinin paluun Sveitsiin - Urheilu - Ilta-Sanomat ] ] fi

Awards and achievements

* Pekka Rautakallio trophy for best defenceman in the SM-liiga - 1994

Career Statistics

--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1992-93 Lahden Reipas FNL 14 3 4 7 181992-93 TPS FNL 3 0 0 0 81993-94 TPS FNL 44 14 24 38 20 11 0 3 3 41994-95 TPS FNL 48 10 17 27 32 11 4 3 7 01995-96 Vastra Frolunda HC Gotebo SEL 32 7 11 18 26 12 2 7 9 41996-97 Vastra Frolunda HC Gotebo SEL 44 20 14 34 39 2 0 1 1 01997-98 Davos Swiss 33 13 17 30 241998-99 Davos Swiss 44 11 42 53 221999-00 Davos Swiss 40 15 23 38 0 5 0 3 3 02000-01 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 61 4 12 16 10 2001-02 Lugano Swiss 34 4 18 22 62002-03 Lugano Swiss 43 18 39 57 122003-04 Lugano Swiss 48 20 39 59 59 16 7 20 27 42004-05 Lugano Swiss 36 13 36 49 18 3 1 0 1 22005-06 Lugano Swiss 38 13 32 45 22 17 8 25 33 102006-07 Minnesota Wild NHL 51 3 17 20 222007-08 Minnesota Wild NHL 27 2 7 9 2-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NHL Totals 139 9 36 45 34

References

External links

* [http://www.nhlfinns.com/players.aspx?pid=65 Petteri Nummelin] on nhlfinns.com