Teppo Numminen

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Position Defence
Shoots Right
Height
Weight		 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
198 lb (90 kg/14 st 2 lb)
NHL Team
F. teams		 Buffalo Sabres
Phoenix Coyotes
Winnipeg Jets
Dallas Stars
Nationality Flag of Finland Finland
Born July 3, 1968 (1968-07-03) (age 39),
Tampere, FIN
NHL Draft 29th overall, 1986
Winnipeg Jets
Pro career 1988 – present
Olympic medal record
Men's Ice hockey
Silver 1988 Calgary Ice hockey
Bronze 1998 Nagano Ice hockey
Silver 2006 Turin Ice hockey

Teppo Numminen (born July 3, 1968 in Tampere, Finland) is a professional hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League.

Contents

[edit] Playing career

Numminen started his career with his local team, Tappara Tampere, in the Finnish Elite League. Drafted twenty-ninth overall in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets, Numminen moved to North America in 1988 to play for the Jets. He moved with the team as it became the Phoenix Coyotes before the 1996–97 season. He played in the NHL All-Star Game in both 1999 and 2000. After fifteen seasons playing for the Winnipeg/Phoenix organization, Numminen was traded to the Dallas Stars in July, 2003, for Mike Sillinger. Numminen took a break from hockey during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. Numminen then signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Sabres.

On November 13, 2006, Numminen played his 1252nd game in the NHL and in the process, set a record for most NHL games played as a European-trained player, surpassing Jari Kurri. Numminen is the only player from the 1986 NHL Entry Draft who is still playing in the NHL.

After signing a one-year contract for the 2007–08 NHL season, Numminen was forced to undergo open heart surgery before the start of the season. Numminen was suspended by the Buffalo Sabres when it was discovered he needed heart surgery.[1]. Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier stated the suspension was due to the fact that his $2.6 million dollar contract was not insured,and there's a clause explicitly in the contract that states the player must pass the physical and be fit to play.[2]

Word came that Numminen's heart surgery was successful. Completed on September 20, 2007, at the Cleveland Clinic, the surgery was performed to repair a faulty valve.[3] Numminen was able to return to action for the final game of the Sabres' 2007–08 season on April 5, 2008.

[edit] International play

Numminen has won two silver medals ('88 & '06) and a bronze ('98) playing with the Finnish Olympic Team.

[edit] Other activities

Teppo Numminen owns 90 % of Montreal Sports Ltd, which is a company founded by Teppo's father Kalevi "Kallu" Numminen. The company produces ice hockey sticks and equipment.

[edit] Personal life

Teppo and his wife Ann-Maarit have two daughters, Bianca and Erica, and one son, Niklas.

[edit] Career statistics

    Regular Season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1988–89 Winnipeg Jets NHL 69 1 14 15 36 - - - - -
1989–90 Winnipeg Jets NHL 79 11 32 43 20 7 1 2 3 10
1990–91 Winnipeg Jets NHL 80 8 25 33 20 - - - - -
1991–92 Winnipeg Jets NHL 80 5 34 39 32 7 0 0 0 0
1992–93 Winnipeg Jets NHL 66 7 30 37 33 6 1 1 2 2
1993–94 Winnipeg Jets NHL 57 5 18 23 28 - - - - -
1994–95 Winnipeg Jets NHL 42 5 16 21 16 - - - - -
1994–95 TuTo SM-liiga 12 3 8 11 4 - - - - -
1995–96 Winnipeg Jets NHL 74 11 43 54 22 6 0 0 0 2
1996–97 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 82 2 25 27 28 7 3 3 6 0
1997–98 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 82 11 40 51 30 1 0 0 0 0
1998–99 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 82 10 30 40 30 7 2 1 3 4
1999–00 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 79 8 34 42 16 5 1 1 2 0
2000–01 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 72 5 26 31 36 - - - - -
2001–02 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 76 13 35 48 20 4 0 0 0 2
2002–03 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 78 6 24 30 30 - - - - -
2003–04 Dallas Stars NHL 62 3 14 17 18 4 0 1 1 0
2005–06 Buffalo Sabres NHL 75 2 38 40 36 12 1 1 2 4
2006–07 Buffalo Sabres NHL 79 2 27 29 32 16 0 4 4 4
2007–08 Buffalo Sabres NHL 1 0 0 0 0 - - - - -
NHL Totals 1315 115 505 620 491 82 9 14 23 28

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sabresnhl/story/162294.html
  2. ^ http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/162818.html
  3. ^ http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sabresnhl/story/167444.html

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Keith Tkachuk		 Phoenix Coyotes captains
2001-03		 Succeeded by
Shane Doan