Sami Vatanen

Sami Vatanen

Vatanen with Team Finland during the 2010 World Junior Championships
Born (1991-06-03) June 3, 1991
Jyväskylä, Finland
Height 5 ft 10.4 in (179 cm)
Weight 176 lb (80 kg; 12 st 8 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Right
NHL team
Former teams		 Anaheim Ducks
JYP
National team  Finland
NHL Draft 106th overall, 2009
Anaheim Ducks
Playing career 2009–present

Sami Vatanen (born June 3, 1991) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the fourth round, 106th overall, by the Ducks at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

Vatanen was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. In the following season, he earned a spot on defending Finnish champions JYP's roster. He broke a record for most points by a rookie defenseman in both the Finnish SM-liiga regular season and playoffs.[1][2]

Vatanen made his NHL debut with Anaheim in the lockout-shortened 2012–13 NHL season on February 1, 2013. Vatanen was also selected to the AHL First All-Star Team, as well as the AHL All-Rookie Team, during the 2012–13 AHL season, despite playing in just 62 games of the 76-game season.

On July 22, 2014, the Ducks re-signed Vatanen to a two-year, $2.525 million contract extension.[3] He scored 12 goals to go with 25 assists for the Ducks during the 2014–15 NHL season, his first full NHL season.

At the completion of the 2015–16 season, Vatanen amassed a new career high with 38 points in 71 games. As a restricted free agent, Vatanen signed a four-year contract extension on June 18, 2016.[4]

International play
Medal record
Representing Finland Finland
Ice hockey
Winter Olympics
2014 Sochi
IIHF World U18 Championships
2009 United States

In 2010, Vatanen represented Finland internationally at the junior level (2010 World Junior Championships held in Saskatchewan, Canada)[5] and at the senior level (2010 World Championships held in Germany).[6] At the end of the 2009–10 season, Vatanen also became the highest-drafted Finnish player in Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) history when he was selected second overall in the 2010 KHL Junior Draft by Metallurg Novokuznetsk.

At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Vatanen won a bronze medal when Finland defeated the United States 5–0.[7]

Represented Finland at the World Cup held in Toronto in September 2016. [8]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2009–10 JYP SM-l 55 7 23 30 44 14 3 4 7 6
2010–11 JYP SM-l 52 11 20 31 30 3 1 1 2 0
2011–12 JYP SM-l 49 14 28 42 40 4 2 0 2 4
2012–13 Norfolk Admirals AHL 62 9 36 45 44 — — — — —
2012–13 Anaheim Ducks NHL 8 2 0 2 0 — — — — —
2013–14 Anaheim Ducks NHL 48 6 15 21 22 5 0 1 1 0
2013–14 Norfolk Admirals AHL 8 2 5 7 4 5 0 3 3 4
2014–15 Anaheim Ducks NHL 67 12 25 37 36 16 3 8 11 8
2015–16 Anaheim Ducks NHL 71 9 29 38 20 7 1 3 4 6
NHL totals 194 29 69 98 78 28 4 12 16 14

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2008 Finland U17 6th 5 2 3 5 8
2008 Finland WJC18 6th 6 0 3 3 4
2009 Finland WJC18 3rd, bronze medalist(s) 6 1 1 2 2
2010 Finland WJC 5th 6 2 3 5 0
2010 Finland WC 6th 7 0 0 0 6
2011 Finland WJC 6th 6 0 4 4 4
2014 Finland OG 3rd, bronze medalist(s) 6 0 5 5 0
2016 Finland WCH 8th 3 0 0 0 2
Junior totals 29 5 14 19 18
Senior totals 16 0 5 5 8

Awards and honours

Finland
Award Year Ref.
Pekka Rautakallio trophy
Awarded to the best defenceman in SM-liiga		 2010–11 [9]
Matti Keinonen trophy
Awarded to the player with the best +/- rating		 2010–11 [9]
Pekka Rautakallio trophy 2011–12 [9]
SM-Liiga championship with JYP Jyväskylä 2011–12 [10]

References

  1. ↑ "Sami Vataselle SM-liigan ennätys". sm-liiga.fi (in Finnish). 2008-02-19. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
  2. ↑ "Sami Vataselle ennätys myös playoffeissa". sm-liiga.fi (in Finnish). 2010-04-15. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
  3. ↑ "Ducks re-sign defenseman Sami Vatanen". NHL.com. July 22, 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Ducks extend Vatanen with four-year deal". The Sports Network. 2016-06-18. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  5. ↑ "Roster - Finland". The Sports Network. Retrieved 2010-05-09.
  6. ↑ "Team Roster - Finland" (pdf). International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 2010-05-09.
  7. ↑ Rosen, Dan. "Selanne's Two-Goal Performance Leads Finland to Bronze Medal in 5-0 Victory over the United States". National Hockey League. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  8. ↑ https://www.nhl.com/video/ducks-daily---sami-vatanen/t-277443296/c-42086103
  9. 1 2 3 "Sami Vatanen's SM-liiga trophies". liiga.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2014-02-17.
  10. ↑ "SM-liiga playoff table 2012". liiga.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2014-02-17.
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