Janne Niskala
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| Position | Defence |
| Shoots | Left |
| Height Weight |
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 198 lb (90 kg/14 st 2 lb) |
| AHL Team | Milwaukee Admirals |
| Nationality |  Finland |
| Born | September 22, 1981 , Västerås, SWE |
| NHL Draft | 147th overall, 2004 Nashville Predators |
| Pro career | 2000 – present |
Janne Niskala (born September 22, 1981, in Västerås, Sweden) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman, currently with the Nashville Predators in NHL. He was born in Sweden but is of Finnish nationality.
Contents |
[edit] Playing career
Niskala was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft in 5th round as the 147th pick overall. He is known for his good offensive skills and his power play scoring ability.[1]
Niskala has played in Finland for the SM-liiga club Lukko for five season. During the 2000-01 season he played in the Finnish second tier division but also for the British club Manchester Storm. He has spent one season with the Swiss club EV Zug and one for the Swedish Elitserien club Färjestads BK. In Sweden he was reunited with his former team mate from Lukko, Esa Pirnes. During the 2006-07 season in Sweden, Niskala led all defensemen in both points and goals. He also finished first in the plus/minus statistics with a plus-25 rating.[1]
Following his big season with Färjestad, Niskala signed a one-year contract with the NHL's Nashville Predators, but spent the entire 2007-08 season with the farm team Milwaukee Admirals.
[edit] Awards
- Silver medal at the World Junior Championships in 2001.
- Named SM-liiga Player of the Month in November 2003.
- Bronze medal at the World Championships in 2008.
[edit] Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2000-01 | Lukko | SM-l | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2000-01 | Jää-Kotkat | Fin-2 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 43 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2000-01 | Manchester Storm | BISH | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2001-02 | Lukko | SM-l | 55 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 81 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2002-03 | Lukko | SM-l | 46 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 40 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2003-04 | Lukko | SM-l | 55 | 21 | 15 | 36 | 73 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 2004-05 | Lukko | SM-l | 44 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 63 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 2005-06 | EV Zug | NLA | 44 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 50 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 2006-07 | Färjestads BK | SEL | 53 | 19 | 30 | 49 | 62 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 14 | ||
| 2007-08 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 80 | 19 | 25 | 44 | 81 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| SM-liiga totals | 218 | 41 | 45 | 86 | 257 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 22 | ||||
| SEL totals | 53 | 19 | 30 | 49 | 62 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 14 | ||||
| AHL totals | 80 | 19 | 25 | 44 | 81 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||||
Statistics as of April 23, 2008[2][3]
[edit] International play
Niskala has played for Finland in the following competitions:
- 2001 World Junior Championships (silver medal)
- 2008 World Championships (bronze medal)
[edit] International statistics
| Year | Team | Comp | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Finland | WJC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 2008 | Finland | WC | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
Statistics as of May 17, 2008 [1][2]
[edit] References
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