Niko Kapanen

Niko Kapanen (2009)

Niko Klaus Petteri Kapanen ( born April 29, 1978 in Hattula ) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who is since 2013 in HC Lev Prague in the Kontinental Hockey League contract.

  • 2.1 International

Career

Niko Kapanen began his career as a hockey player in 1995 in his hometown at HPK Hämeenlinna, for which he was a five-year long active in the SM- liiga, and with which he reached in each case the third place in the championship in 1997, 1999 and 2000. During this time he was also selected in the NHL Entry Draft in 1998 in the sixth round as a total 173 players from the Dallas Stars. First, however, he played another year in the SM- liiga, where he was first in the 2000 /01 season in his career with TPS Turku Finnish Champion.

In the summer of 2001, the Dallas Stars beorderten the Center to North America, where he was regularly until 2006 for the Stars of the National Hockey League on the ice. Only during the lockout in the 2004/ 05 NHL season played Kapanen for the EV train from the Swiss National League A. After his return to the NHL for the 2005/ 06 Kapanen was ever a season long for the Dallas Stars, Atlanta Thrashers and Phoenix Coyotes active before he was hired in 2008 by Ak Bars Kazan of the newly formed Continental Hockey League, with whom he won the Gagarin Cup each in the seasons 2008/ 09 and 2009/10.

Internationally

For Finland Kapanen participated in the U20 World Junior Championships in 1997 and 1998, as well as the A- World Championships 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011 in part. In addition, he was in the squad of Finland at the Olympic Winter Games in 2006 and 2010 and the World Cup of Hockey 2004.

Awards and achievements

  • 2001 Finnish Champion with TPS Turku
  • 2003 NHL Young Stars Game
  • 2009 Gagarin Cup win with Ak Bars Kazan
  • 2010 Gagarin Cup win with Ak Bars Kazan

Internationally

  • 2007 Silver medal at the World Championships
  • 2008 bronze medal at the World Championships
  • 2009 Top scorer of the World Cup (together with Steven Stamkos and Jason Spezza )
  • 2010 bronze medal at the Winter Olympics
  • 2011 Gold Medal at the World Championships

Statistics

(End of season 2010/11)

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