Petteri Nummelin

Petteri Nummelin (born November 25, 1972 in Turku, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman, and a former NHL defenceman for the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets. He currently plays for HC Lugano of the Swiss Nationalliga A. He was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets as their fifth-round pick, #133 overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Nummelin has represented Finland numerous times in international play, including the 1995 Ice Hockey World Championships where Finland won their first gold medal.

Nummelin is the son of Timo Nummelin, a Finnish ice hockey hall of famer.

Career in Finland
Petteri Nummelin started playing ice hockey in his hometown Turku and played for a-junior team of TPS for 3 seasons after which he played for Kiekko-67 in the 1. Division. Nummelin debuted in the SM-Liiga during the 1992–93 Season which he spent playing partly for TPS and Reipas. Nummelin also played in Kiekko-67 and TPS A-Junior team during the season. After the 1992–93 season Nummelin stayed in TPS for 2 more seasons (93–95) and moved to play in Sweden after winning the world championship for Finland.

Career in Sweden
After successful World Championship tournament in 1995 Nummelin attracted some international publicity and was contracted by Frölunda HC, a Swedish team playing in the Elitserien. Nummelin spent total of 2 seasons in Sweden.

Career in Switzerland
In 1997 Nummelin joined HC Davos, one of the most successful Swiss teams to date. Nummelin played in HC Davos for 3 seasons (1997–2000) during the time Nummelin established himself as a star in Switzerland and at the end of 1999–2000 Season Nummelin received an offer from the NHL. Nummelin Played in NHL for Columbus Blue Jackets for the 2000–2001 season and returned to Switzerland and joined HC Lugano for 2001–2002 season. Nummelin played in Lugano for 5 seasons (2001–06) and won several honors during that time, such as the overall points ranking in 2004 and the Swiss championship in 2003 and 2006. Since the season of 2008–2009, he comes back to Switzerland for HC Lugano.

NHL career
Nummelin has played for one season in the NHL during the 2000–2001 NHL Season for the Columbus Blue Jackets In 2006, after spending 5 seasons in Switzerland, Nummelin returned to the NHL and signed with the Minnesota Wild, partially due to strong encouragement by Minnesota Wild teammate, fellow countryman and friend Mikko Koivu. Known as Nummy by fans and Petu on the ice, Nummelin has enjoyed a resurgence in his NHL career in the early stages of the 2006–07 NHL season.

Although Nummelin has displayed both strong offensive and defensive contribution during regulation play, many consider his strongest asset his ability to score in the overtime shootout. As of 7 December 2006, Nummelin has converted six shootout goals in all six of his attempts, beating some of the NHL's best goalies including Nikolai Khabibulin, Roberto Luongo and Vezina winner Miikka Kiprusoff. Nummelin's success is credited to what Wild fans have dubbed "The Shoulder Shake," a deke in which Nummelin shifts his shoulders back and forth without actually moving the puck, forcing the goaltender to move first, Nummelin then reacts to the goalie's movement putting the puck in the net with the backhand or forehand. Nummelin's opportunity in the shootout initially came as a shock to fans and teammates when Minnesota Wild head coach Jacques Lemaire listed him third in the shootout lineup against the Vancouver Canucks on 10 October 2006, in the place normally given to Marian Gaborik (the first three shooters are often reserved for the team's best goal scorers). Nummelin's conversion was the deciding goal to end the shootout and win the game for the Wild. Nummelin is currently the all-time NHL shoot-out conversion leader for players with more than two attempts, with a rate of 89% (8 for 9).

After the 2007–08 NHL season, Nummelin's contract with the Wild expired, and at 35 years of age he signed a 3-year contract with his former Swiss team HC Lugano.

Awards and achievements

 * Pekka Rautakallio trophy for best defenceman in the SM-liiga - 1994

Career Statistics
--- Regular Season ---  Playoffs Season  Team                        Lge    GP    G    A  Pts  PIM  GP   G   A Pts PIM -- 1992-93 Lahden Reipas               FNL    14    3    4    7   18 1992-93 TPS                         FNL     3    0    0    0    8 1993-94 TPS                         FNL    44   14   24   38   20  11   0   3   3   4 1994-95 TPS                         FNL    48   10   17   27   32  11   4   3   7   0 1995-96 Vastra Frolunda HC Gotebo   SEL    32    7   11   18   26  12   2   7   9   4 1996-97 Vastra Frolunda HC Gotebo   SEL    44   20   14   34   39   2   0   1   1   0 1997-98 Davos                       Swiss  33   13   17   30   24 1998-99 Davos                       Swiss  44   11   42   53   22 1999-00 Davos                       Swiss  40   15   23   38    0   5   0   3   3   0 2000-01 Columbus Blue Jackets       NHL    61    4   12   16   10 2001-02 Lugano                      Swiss  34    4   18   22    6 2002-03 Lugano                      Swiss  43   18   39   57   12 2003-04 Lugano                      Swiss  48   20   39   59   59  16   7  20  27   4 2004-05 Lugano                      Swiss  36   13   36   49   18   3   1   0   1   2 2005-06 Lugano                      Swiss  38   13   32   45   22  17   8  25  33  10 2006-07 Minnesota Wild              NHL    51    3   17   20   22 2007-08 Minnesota Wild              NHL    27    2    7    9    2 2008-09 Lugano                      Swiss  41   21   39   60   16 --        NHL Totals                        139    9   36   45   34