Kari Takko

Kari Takko (b. June 23, 1962 in Uusikaupunki, Finland) is a former professional goaltender. Drafted to the NHL by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, 200th overall, Takko failed to come to terms with the Nordiques, which made him eligible to re-enter the Draft; in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, he got selected in the 5th round, 97th overall, by the Minnesota North Stars.

Takko spent most of his career in Finland, playing from 1978 to 1985 with Ässät Pori of the SM-liiga. He then crossed the ocean to play in the NHL with the North Stars, with which he played a bit more than 5 seasons, mostly as backup to Don Beaupre and Jon Casey. He got traded to the Edmonton Oilers during the 1990-91 season. He played 11 games with the Oilers, as a backup to Bill Ranford, before going back to Europe for the next season. He would play for Ässät Pori from then on until 1996; in 1997 he signed with the HV 71 of the Swedish Elitserien, for which he played until his retirement following the 1999-00 season.

Takko was a regular figure on the Finnish National Team, appearing in 104 international games in the World Junior Championships, the World Championships, the Olympic Games and the Canada Cup.

External link

 * Kari Takko's career stats