Jari Torkki is a retired 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...

 player who played in the National Hockey League

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...

 and SM-Liiga

SM-liiga

The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...

. He also won a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics with Team Finland.

Career

Jari Torkki played his entire SM-liiga

SM-liiga

The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...

 career for Lukko

Lukko

Lukko is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga, formed 1936. The full name of the club is Rauman Lukko. They play in Rauma, Finland at the Äijänsuo Arena. They have won the national championship once, in 1963...

, a team located in Rauma

Rauma, Finland

Rauma is a town and municipality of ca. inhabitants on the west coast of Finland, north of Turku, and south of Pori. Granted town privileges on May 17, 1442 , Rauma is known of its high quality lace , and of the old wooden architecture of its centre , which is a Unesco world heritage...

, Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

. Torkki alongside with Erik Hämäläinen

Erik Hämäläinen

Vesa Erik Hämäläinen is a left-handed retired Finnish ice hockey defenceman. Hämäläinen currently is an Ice hockey coach, employed by SM-liiga team Lukko-Early career:...

 has an iconic status in Lukko and is held on high regard by Lukko fans.

Despite having a good form in SM-liiga, Torkki did not have a great career in 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...

. Torkki played two seasons in North America and played for NHL team Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...

. Torkki also played for IHL teams Saginaw Hawks

Saginaw Hawks

The Saginaw Hawks competed in the International Hockey League from 1987–89. Prominent former Saginaw Hawks include goalie Eddie Belfour. The team was formerly known as the Saginaw Generals from 1985–87....

 and Indianapolis Ice

Indianapolis Ice

The Indianapolis Ice is the name of a former hockey team in Indianapolis, Indiana, that played in the International Hockey League from 1988–99 and in the Central Hockey League from 1999–2004. Their original home arena was the Indiana State Fairgrounds Pepsi Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds...

 during his two season tenure in North America.

After his short NHL visit, Torkki returned to Lukko and played 6 more seasons for Lukko, totaling 13 seasons in Lukko.

After playing for Lukko, Torkki to play for Star Bulls Rosenheim, of DEL, HC Merano

HC Merano

HC Merano is an ice hockey team in Merano, Italy. They play in the Serie A2.-History:Merano was founded in 1968. They won the Serie A twice, in 1986 and 1999. In 2004, they were relegated to the Serie A2....

 and HC Milano

HC Milano

Hockey Club Milano was an Italian ice hockey team based in Milano . Throughout its history, has changed its name twice, and was called Associazione Disco Ghiaccio Milano and Hockey Club Milano Inter...

 of Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 Serie A and finally, Bracknell Bees

Bracknell Bees

The Bracknell Bees are an ice hockey team from Bracknell, Berkshire, UK.-Early years:The Bracknell Bees were formed in 1987, under the ownership of John Nike OBE. Bees began life in the Heineken League Division Two, under the leadership of former Durham Wasps and Nottingham Panthers forward, Jamie...

 of the British

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 BISL

Ice Hockey Superleague

The Ice Hockey Superleague was a professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2003. Formed in 1995, it replaced the Premier Division of the British Hockey League, it was the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom...

.

Jari Torkki was also an Olympian as a member of Finland’s team who took home Silver in Calgary 1988.

Jari Torkki retired in 2003.

External links