Anssi Salmela
Anssi Salmela ( born August 13, 1984 in Nokia) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who is since September 2013 in HV71 in the Svenska Hockey ligands under contract.
- 3.1 International
Career
Anssi Salmela began his career as a hockey player in his native Finland in Tappara Tampere, for whom he played in the SM- liiga 2003-2005. At the beginning of the 2005/06 season the defender was delivered to their league rivals Pelicans Lahti, for which he was the following two seasons running, before he again played in the 2007/ 08 season for Tampere, with whom he this year's bronze medal in the SM- liiga won.
Before the season 2008/ 09 Salmela received a one-year contract with the New Jersey Devils, for their NHL team and their farm team in the American Hockey League, the Lowell Devils. His debut in the National Hockey League for New Jersey was the defender on 10 October 2008 in the first season game in a 2-1 victory against the New York Islanders.
On 2 March 2009 Salmela was transferred in exchange for the Swede Niclas Hävelid to the Atlanta Thrashers, for in only his second game for Atlanta, he scored his first goal in the NHL on March 16, 2009. On 4 February 2010 Salmela returned to the New Jersey Devils, as it would swap the Thrashers Ilya Kovalchuk along with Johnny Oduya against, Nicklas Bergfors, Patrice Cormier and a draft pick for the first round of the NHL Entry Draft in 2010.
On 15 July 2011 Salmela signed a contract for two years at HK Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League. After the expiration of this contract, he moved within the KHL to HK Donbass Donetsk, but was sacked in September 2013 shortly before the start of the season. End of the same month he received a short-term contract with MODO Hockey, for which he completed 8 games, before joining HV71.
Internationally
For Finland Salmela took part in the Junior World Championship in 2004 and the A World Cup 2008 and 2009. In the first two tournaments he won the bronze medal with his team.
Awards and achievements
- 2004 bronze medal at the U20 World Junior Championships
- 2008 bronze medal at the World Championships
- 2011 Gold Medal at the World Championships
Career Stats
Internationally
( Key to Career statistics: Sp or GP = Games Played, T or G = goals scored, V or A = achieved assists; Pts or Pts = scored points scorer, SM or PIM = received penalty minutes, / - = Plus / Minus balance sheet; PP = scored majority gates; SH = scored shorthanded goals, GW = achieved victory gates; Play-downs/Relegation 1 )