Esa Keskinen is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 forward

Forward (ice hockey)

In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...

.

Playing career

Keskinen was drafted by the Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...

 as their fifth-round pick, 101st overall, in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft

1985 NHL Entry Draft

The 1985 NHL Entry Draft was the first draft outside of Montreal. The event was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, and attended by 7,000 fans. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the...

, but never played in the NHL

National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 anytime in his active playing career. During season 1995-96 Keskinen formed with his fellow Finn Kai Nurminen

Kai Nurminen

Kai I. Nurminen is a retired Finnish ice hockey forward, who last played with Herlev Hornets in the Danish Oddset Ligaen.- Career :...

 a proficient goal-scoring duo when they played for HV71

HV71

HV71, often referred to as just HV, is a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Jönköping, playing in the Swedish elite league Elitserien...

 in the Swedish

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 Elitserien

Elitserien

Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...

. During his years in HV71 he was a popular player among the fans and drew by himself large crowds to the club's, at the time, arena Rosenlundshallen

Rosenlundshallen

Rosenlundshallen was Sweden's first ice hockey arena and was located in Jönköping.The arena was HV71's home arena until 2000 when it was replaced by Kinnarps Arena. It opened in 1958 and held 4,500 people during sport events.- External links :*...

.

Keskinen recorded 658 points (215 goals, 443 assists) and 130 penalty minutes in 478 games in SM-liiga playing for TPS

TPS (ice hockey)

TPS or Turun Palloseura is an ice hockey team and 11-time champion of SM-liiga. They play in Turku, Finland at the HK Arena. In terms of championships, TPS is the most successful team in SM-liiga history.-Team history:...

 and Lukko. In Elitserien he totalled 203 games with 209 points (61 goals, 148 assists) and 148 penalty minutes playing for HV71. He has been noted for most points in SM-liiga in seasons 1987-88 (69 points), 1992-93 (59 points) and 1993-94 (70 points).

Awards

• Silver medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
• Awarded the Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy
  Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy
  The Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy is an ice hockey trophy awarded by the Finnish SM-liiga to the player who scores the most points during regular season play.To date, Steve Kariya and Martin Kariya are the only two brothers to win the title.Trophy winners:...
  
   in 1988, 1993 and 1994.
• SM-liiga champion with TPS
  TPS (ice hockey)
  TPS or Turun Palloseura is an ice hockey team and 11-time champion of SM-liiga. They play in Turku, Finland at the HK Arena. In terms of championships, TPS is the most successful team in SM-liiga history.-Team history:...
  
   in 1993 and 2000.
• Awarded the Kultainen kypärä
  Kultainen kypärä
  Kultainen kypärä is an ice hockey award given to the best player in the Finnish SM-liiga. It is the most appreciated of the awards, as it is voted for by the players. It has been awarded since 1987....
  
   trophy in 1994.
• Awarded Lasse Oksanen trophy
  Lasse Oksanen trophy
  The Lasse Oksanen trophy is an ice hockey trophy awarded by the Finnish SM-liiga to the best player of the season during regular season play.Trophy winners:1948-49: Unto Wiitala 1953-54: Unto Wiitala...
  
   in 1994.
• SM-liiga Best Player of Regular Season 1993-94.
• Bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics.
• Elitserien
  Elitserien
  Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
  
   playoff winner with HV71
  HV71
  HV71, often referred to as just HV, is a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Jönköping, playing in the Swedish elite league Elitserien...
  
   in 1995.
• Gold medal at the 1995 Ice Hockey World Championship.
• Awarded Guldhjälmen
  Guldhjälmen
  Guldhjälmen is a Swedish ice hockey award, which is awarded annually to Elitserien's most valuable player as decided by a vote of its players....
  
  (Most Valuable Player) in 1996.

Records

• HV71's club record for assists in one season (41)
• HV71's club record for points in one season (59)