Niko Kapanen
Encyclopedia
Niko Klaus Petteri Kapanen (born 29 April 1978) is a Finnish professional ice hockey
centre, currently playing for Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League
(KHL).
in the 6th round as the 173rd overall pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft
. During the 2005–6 season, Kapanen recorded a career high in goals (14), and points (35). He scored his first career hat-trick on February 9, 2006 against the Phoenix Coyotes in a 5–1 victory.
On June 24, 2006, Kapanen was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers, along with 7th round draft pick in 2006, for defenceman Jaroslav Modry
and centerman Patrik Stefan
. During his first season with the Thrashers, Kapanen was picked up off the waiver list by the Phoenix Coyotes
.
On June 9, 2008, Kapanen signed for Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League
(KHL).
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...
centre, currently playing for Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....
(KHL).
Playing career
Kapanen was drafted by the Dallas StarsDallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
in the 6th round as the 173rd overall pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft
1998 NHL Entry Draft
The 1998 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 27 at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. A total of 258 players were drafted.- Selections by round :Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.- Round one :- Round two :...
. During the 2005–6 season, Kapanen recorded a career high in goals (14), and points (35). He scored his first career hat-trick on February 9, 2006 against the Phoenix Coyotes in a 5–1 victory.
On June 24, 2006, Kapanen was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers, along with 7th round draft pick in 2006, for defenceman Jaroslav Modry
Jaroslav Modrý
Jaroslav Modrý is a Czech professional ice hockey defenseman who currently plays for HC Plzeň of the Czech Extraliga. He previously played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, Atlanta Thrashers, Dallas Stars and Philadelphia...
and centerman Patrik Stefan
Patrik Stefan
Patrik Štefan is a Czech retired professional ice hockey player who was drafted 1st overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft...
. During his first season with the Thrashers, Kapanen was picked up off the waiver list by the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
.
On June 9, 2008, Kapanen signed for Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....
(KHL).
International play
Played for Finland in:- 19981998 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships- Quarterfinals :- Semifinals :- Placement games :- 7th place game :- 5th place game :- Bronze medal game :- Gold medal game :- Relegation round : lost the two game total goal series 17-3 and was relegated for the 1999 World Juniors...
- World Junior Championships (Gold medal) - 20002000 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships-World Championship Group A :Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2001# -World Championship Group B :...
- World Championships (Bronze medal) - 20012001 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships-Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2002# — relegated to Division I for 2002# - Group A :Group A was played in Grenoble, France between April 16 and April 22, 2001...
- World Championships (Silver medal) - 20022002 Men's World Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 2002 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held between April 26 and May 11, 2002 in Gothenburg, Karlstad and Jönköping, Sweden.It was the 66th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation .- Championship :...
- World Championships - 20042004 Men's World Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 2004 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held April 24-May 9, 2004, in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic. Games for this Ice Hockey World Championships tournament were played at Sazka Arena and ČEZ Aréna...
- World Championships - 20042004 World Cup of HockeyThe 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League -sanctioned competition eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 30 to September 14, 2004, and took place in various venues...
- World Cup of Hockey (Runner-up) - 20052005 Men's World Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 2005 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held March 7 - May 15, 2005, in 7 cities in 6 countries: Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria ; Debrecen, Hungary ; Eindhoven, the Netherlands ; Zagreb, Croatia ; Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro ; Mexico City, Mexico...
- World Championships - 2006Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...
- Winter Olympics (Silver medal) - 20072007 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships-Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2008# — relegated to Division I for 2008- Group A :Final standings# — promoted to Championship for 2008# # # #...
- World Championships (Silver medal) - 20082008 Men's World Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 2008 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 72nd such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 48 countries will participate in four levels of competition. The competition will also serve as qualifications for the 2009 competition...
- World Championships (Bronze medal) - 20092009 Men's World Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 2009 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 73rd such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 46 countries participated in four levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for the 2010 competition...
- World Championships - 2010 - Winter Olympics (Bronze medal)
- 20112011 Men's World Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 2011 IIHF World Championship was the 75th IIHF World Championship, an annual international ice hockey tournament. It took place between the 29 April and the 15 May 2011 in Slovakia. The games were played in the Orange Arena in Bratislava, and the Steel Aréna in Košice...
- World Championships (Gold medal)
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1995–96 | HPK HPK HPK is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Hämeenlinna, Finland at the Hämeenlinnan jäähalli. HPK was established in 1929. The full name of the club is HPK-Edustusjääkiekko Ry and the team is sometimes promoted as the "Hockey Playing Knights", with the logo representing a knight... |
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... |
7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | HPK | SM-liiga | 41 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 | ||
| 1997–98 | HPK | SM-liiga | 48 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | HPK | SM-liiga | 53 | 14 | 29 | 43 | 49 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 1999–00 | HPK | SM-liiga | 53 | 20 | 28 | 48 | 40 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 4 | ||
| 2000–01 | 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:... |
SM-liiga | 56 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 2001–02 AHL season The 2001–02 AHL season was the 66th season of the American Hockey League. It was the season of the biggest growth in the AHL's history, as it accepted eight new teams. The demise of the International Hockey League brought six teams transferring from the defunct league, in addition to two expansion... |
Utah Grizzlies | AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
59 | 13 | 28 | 41 | 40 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. 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... |
9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 82 | 5 | 29 | 34 | 55 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 12 | ||
| 2003–04 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 67 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | EV Zug EV Zug EV Zug is a professional men's ice hockey team from Zug, Switzerland. They are a current member of National League A and play their home games at Bossard Arena.-History:EV Zug won its lone championship in the 1997–98 season.... |
NLA | 44 | 10 | 33 | 43 | 24 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 35 | ||
| 2005–06 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 81 | 14 | 21 | 35 | 36 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 2006–07 | Atlanta Thrashers Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season... |
NHL | 60 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Phoenix Coyotes Phoenix Coyotes The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena.... |
NHL | 19 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 79 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 KHL season The 2008–09 KHL season was the inaugural season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It started on September 2, 2008, and finished on February 26, 2009... |
Ak Bars Kazan | KHL Kontinental Hockey League The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe.... |
53 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 22 | 21 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 16 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 KHL season The 2009–10 KHL season was the second season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It was held from 10 September 2009 to 27 April 2010, with a break for the Olympic winter games from 8 February to 3 March... |
Ak Bars Kazan | KHL | 54 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 44 | 22 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 6 | ||
| NHL totals | 397 | 36 | 90 | 126 | 160 | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 22 | ||||
| KHL totals | 107 | 24 | 32 | 56 | 66 | 43 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 22 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 1997 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships -Quarterfinals:-Semifinals:-5th place game:-Bronze Medal Game:-Gold Medal Game:-Final standings: was relegated for the 1998 World Juniors-Scoring leaders:-Goaltending leaders:-Pool B:... |
Finland Jr. Finland men's national junior ice hockey team The Finnish men's national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Finland. The team represents Finland at the International Ice Hockey Federation's IIHF World U20 Championship.-2011 WJC roster:... |
WJC | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
| 1998 1998 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships - Quarterfinals :- Semifinals :- Placement games :- 7th place game :- 5th place game :- Bronze medal game :- Gold medal game :- Relegation round : lost the two game total goal series 17-3 and was relegated for the 1999 World Juniors... |
Finland Jr. | WJC | 7 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
| 2000 2000 IIHF World Championship -Group 2 :Played in Amiens-Playoff :Played in Eindhoven-Far East :Played September 3-5, 1999 in Aomori.-First round:Like the previous two years, sixteen nations played in four groups of four... |
Finland | WC Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... |
9 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| 2001 2001 IIHF World Championship The 2001 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held between April 28 and May 13, 2001 in Nuremberg, Cologne and Hanover, Germany.It was the 65th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation .-Venues:-Qualification Tournament:... |
Finland | WC | 9 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| 2002 2002 IIHF World Championship The 2002 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held between April 26 and May 11, 2002 in Gothenburg, Karlstad and Jönköping, Sweden.It was the 66th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation .-Qualification Tournament:... |
Finland | WC | 9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 2004 2004 IIHF World Championship The 2004 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held between April 24 and May 9, 2004 in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic.It was the 68th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation .-Qualification Tournament:... |
Finland | WC | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 14 |
| 2004 2004 World Cup of Hockey The 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League -sanctioned competition eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 30 to September 14, 2004, and took place in various venues... |
Finland | W-Cup World Cup of Hockey The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991... |
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2005 2005 IIHF World Championship - Group B :All times local - Group C :All times local - Group D :All times local -Qualifying round:The top three teams from each group in the First Round advance to the qualifying round... |
Finland | WC | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 |
| 2006 Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics – Men's tournament The men's tournament in ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held in Turin, Italy, from 15 to 26 February. Twelve teams competed, with Sweden winning the gold medal, Finland winning silver, and the Czech Republic winning bronze. It was the third Olympic tournament to feature National Hockey... |
Finland | OG Ice hockey at the Olympic Games Ice hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men's tournament was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics and was transferred permanently to the Winter Olympic Games programme in 1924. The women's tournament was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics... |
8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 2007 2007 IIHF World Championship The 2007 IIHF World Championship were held between April 27 and May 13, 2007 in Moscow, Russia. It was the 71st annual world championship event run by the International Ice Hockey Federation... |
Finland | WC | 9 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| 2008 2008 IIHF World Championship The 2008 IIHF World Championship was played between May 2 and May 18, 2008 in the Canadian cities of Halifax and Quebec City . The two venues were the Halifax Metro Centre and the Colisée Pepsi... |
Finland | WC | 9 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| 2009 2009 IIHF World Championship The 2009 IIHF World Championship took place in Switzerland from 24 April to 10 May. The games were played in the PostFinance Arena in Bern and Schluefweg in Kloten.... |
Finland | WC | 7 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 0 |
| 2010 | Finland | OG | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2011 | Finland | WC | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
External links
- Niko Kapanen at Hockey News
- Niko Kapanen on nhlfinns.com