Ossi Väänänen

Ossi Väänänen ( born August 8, 1980 in Vantaa ) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who plays on the position of the defender for Jokerit in the SM- liiga since 2010.

Career

Väänänen joined with five years in the Finnish club Jokerit and played until 1998 for its youth teams. In the NHL Entry Draft in 1998 it chose the Phoenix Coyotes in the second round by 43 out of, but he still played until 2000 for Jokerit in the SM- liiga. At the end of the season 1999/2000 he was awarded the best young players in the league and won the silver medal with Jokerit of the SM - liiga championship.

From 2000 to 2004 he played for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League. In March 2004, the Coyotes sent him along with Chris Gratton and a second-round draft pick to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Derek Morris and Keith Ballard. Half a year later, during the 2004/05 season, he returned because of the lockout in the NHL back to Jokerit. In June 2006, his expiring contract was extended for one year. A year later, he decided, despite several offers from the NHL for a return to Europe and signed a contract with Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish Elitserien. In 2008 he returned to the NHL and signed a contract for one year at the Philadelphia Flyers. In February 2009 he moved to the Vancouver Canucks.

In summer 2009, Väänänen received a new contract in the NHL, so he decided to come back to Europe. He signed a contract with HC Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, for whom he scored six assists in 52 games. After this unsuccessful season in the KHL, he left Minsk and signed a contract with his hometown club Jokerit. In November of the same year he extended this for another two years. In addition, he took over the captaincy at Jokerit.

Internationally

Ossi Väänänen already completed a variety of appearances for the Finnish National Hockey Team, including he played in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, the World Championships in 2003 and 2005. Moreover, it was used at the World Cup of Hockey 2004. At the Olympic Games in 2014 he won the bronze medal with the Finnish national team.

Awards and achievements

• 2003 NHL Young Stars Game
• 2011 Gold Medal at the World Championships
• 2014 bronze medal at the Winter Olympics

Career Stats

( 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 )