Vesa Viitakoski

Vesa Viitakoski ( born February 13, 1971 in Lappeenranta ) is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey player and current coach.

  • 2.1 International

Career

Vesa Viitakoski began his career as a hockey player with Jokerit Lappeenranta, for by 1990 he was active from 1988 in the SM- liiga. He was then selected in the NHL Entry Draft in 1990 in the second round than a total of 32 players from the Calgary Flames. First, however, the attacker played three more years in Finland Tappara Tampere. During his time in the National Hockey League, where he played from 1993 to 1996 for Calgary to Viitakoski could not prevail, so that he completed only 23 NHL games in which he scored six points scorer, including two goals. For the 1996/97 season the Finn returned to Europe, where he signed a contract with HV71 Jonkoping of the Swedish Elitserien.

After a season striker HV71 left again and was given a contract in his native Finland with Ilves Tampere, for which he was active until 2004, before he again went to Sweden, where he ran aground two seasons for Brynäs IF. then he returned to Ilves. Since the summer of 2008 Viitakoski stands at Kärpät Oulu under contract. For the Finns, he stood in all four group matches in the Champions Hockey League on the ice and was Viitakoski end of the season with his team's runner-up. Following the 2009/10 season, he finished his career at Kärpät.

In the season 2011/12 he worked as an assistant coach of the junior of his ex- club Ilves Tampere before in the same position he worked in the following season in the first team. Since 2013 he is an assistant coach with the HPK.

Internationally

For Finland Viitakoski participated in the Junior World Championships in 1990 and 1991, as the A World Championships in 1992, 1993 and 2002, in part, where he in 1992 vice-champion with his team was.

Awards and achievements

Internationally

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