Hannu Toivonen
Hannu Toivonen ( born May 18, 1984 in Kalvola ) is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender who stands since July 2011 the Malmö Redhawks in the HockeyAllsvenskan under contract. He was selected in the NHL Entry Draft 2002 29th position in the first round by the Boston Bruins and plays in the butterfly style.
Career
Toivonen started his career in the Finnish A-Juniors league at HPK Hämeenlinna, where he was employed in 31 games. In 2002 he took part in the U20 World Junior Championships and won a bronze medal with Finland.
NHL Entry Draft 2002, he was selected in the first round at position 29 of the Boston Bruins. His success at the World Cup brought him to the 2002/03 season in the SM- liiga, where he completed 24 games for HPK. He remained undefeated in 13 consecutive games. Finally to season 2003/ 04 he moved to the North American Hockey League to the American Providence Bruins, the farm team of the Boston Bruins, for whom he played 36 games.
In the following season the Finn sat by as goalkeeper of the Providence Bruins. However, this season he suffered a knee injury that required surgery. Toivonen missed out 13 games. Later he succeeded with the Providence Bruins of making the play -offs, where the team reached the conference finals.
The season 2005/ 06 brought the introduction to the NHL. After an injury of Boston's Andrew Raycroft Toivonen was awarded the post of goalkeeper behind Tim Thomas. On 8 October 2005, he graduated from the Pittsburgh Penguins his first NHL game and won it his first win in the NHL. Toivonen it had to allow the first goal in the NHL career of Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby. On 1 December 2005 he succeeded in a game against the Ottawa Senators his first NHL shutout. In June 2006, the Bruins of Raycroft and Toivonen parted competed with Thomas around the place as first-choice goalkeeper, but did not manage to break through and was sent during the 2006/07 season to the Providence Bruins in the AHL.
In July 2007, the Boston Bruins him transferred to the St. Louis Blues. There would be the end of the season 2007/ 08 expiring contract was not renewed. Toivonen then returned to Finland and signed a contract with Ilves in the Finnish top league, the SM- liiga. The 2009/10 season he began again in the farm team of the St. Louis Blues, the Peoria Rivermen in the AHL before he was released on 1 March 2010, together with defender Danny Richmond for goalie Joe Fallon to the Chicago Blackhawks. In Chicago Toivonen behind compatriot Antti Niemi, the French goalkeeper Cristobal Huet and the talented Corey Crawford was initially the number four among the final people and shared in the farm team in Rockford the goalkeeper position with Crawford. While Crawford prevailed in the 2010/11 season in the NHL squad of the Black Hawks, made Toivonen along with Alec Richards a Torwartduo with the Rockford IceHogs.
July 1, 2011, Toivonen was awarded a contract for two seasons at the Malmö Redhawks of the HockeyAllsvenskan.
Awards and achievements
- 2004 bronze medal at the U20 World Junior Championships