Teppo Numminen

Teppo Numminen
Numminen in 2013
Born	(1968-07-03) July 3, 1968 Tampere, Finland
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Right
Played for	Tappara Winnipeg Jets TuTo Phoenix Coyotes Dallas Stars Buffalo Sabres
National team	Finland
NHL draft	29th overall, 1986 Winnipeg Jets
Playing career	1985–2009
Medal record Representing Finland Men's ice hockey European Junior Championships 1986 West Germany World Junior Championships 1988 Soviet Union Winter Olympics 1988 Calgary 2006 Turin 1998 Nagano World Cup of Hockey 2004 World Cup

Teppo Kalevi Numminen (born July 3, 1968) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for Tappara and TuTo of the SM-liiga and the Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars and Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Internationally, he represented the Finland men's national ice hockey team, and was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2013.

Playing career

Numminen playing with the Buffalo Sabres in 2007

Numminen started his career with his local team, Tappara, in the SM-liiga. Drafted in the second round (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 1999, 2000 and 2001. 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, then signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Sabres.

On November 13, 2006, Numminen played his 1,252nd game in the NHL, thus setting a record for most NHL games played by a European-trained player, surpassing Jari Kurri.

After signing a one-year contract for the 2007–08 season, Numminen was forced to undergo open heart surgery before the start of the season. Numminen was suspended by the Sabres when it was discovered he needed heart surgery. Sabres' general manager Darcy Regier stated the suspension was because his $2.6 million contract was not insured, and the contract contained a clause, which stated that player must have passed the physical and had to be fit to play.

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. Numminen was able to return to action for the final game of the Sabres' 2007–08 season on April 5, 2008.

Per a statement by general manager Regier, Numminen expressed some interest in returning to NHL play for at least another year. On August 8, 2008, Numminen re-signed with the Buffalo Sabres.

He was the leader among active NHL players who played the most games without winning the Stanley Cup: 1,372 at the end of the 2008-09 season.

Numminen announced his retirement on August 4, 2009. The 41-year-old finished his NHL career with 117 goals and 520 assists for 637 points in 1372 NHL games. At the time of his retirement, Numminen was the last player from the 1986 NHL Entry Draft still playing in the NHL and he had extended his record to 1,372 NHL games, the most by a European-born and trained player at any position, which stood until broken by Nicklas Lidström in the 2009–10 season.

On January 30, 2010, the Coyotes enshrined Numminen's number 27 jersey into the ring of honor. During his 15 seasons for the franchise, including their previous incarnation as the Winnipeg Jets, he played 1,098 games, a then franchise record. His 534 points are also a franchise record for defencemen.

International play

IIHF Hall of Fame in 2013: Jan-Åke Edvinsson, Gord Miller, Mats Sundin, Danielle Goyette, Paul Henderson, Peter Forsberg, Teppo Numminen and Boris Mikhailov

Numminen represented the Finnish men's national team and won two silver medals in 1988 and 2006, and one bronze medal in 1998 Winter Olympics.

Numminen was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2013.

Personal life

Numminen and his wife Ann-Maarit have two daughters, Bianca and Erica, and one son, Nicklas. His brother, center Teemu Numminen (born December 23, 1973) was drafted 229th overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets but he never made it to the NHL.

Numminen used to own 80% of Montreal Sports Ltd, which was a company founded by his father, Kalevi. The company produced ice hockey sticks and equipment and was sold to the large hockey brand Warrior.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1984–85	Whitby Lawmen	OJHL		16	3	9	12	0		—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	Tappara	Fin-Jr.		2	0	0	0	0		3	0	1	1	2
1985–86	Tappara	SM-liiga		31	2	4	6	6		8	0	0	0	0
1986–87	Tappara	SM-liiga		44	9	9	18	16		9	4	1	5	4
1987–88	Tappara	SM-liiga		40	10	10	20	29		10	6	6	12	6
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		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		57	2	15	17	22		—	—	—	—	—
SM-liiga totals				127	24	31	55	55		27	10	7	17	10
NHL totals				1,372	117	520	637	513		82	9	14	23	28

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1986	Finland	EJC		5	2	3	5	8
1987	Finland	WC		10	5	0	5	4
1987	Finland	CC		4	1	0	1	2
1988	Finland	WJC		7	5	2	7	4
1988	Finland	OLY		6	1	4	5	0
1991	Finland	WC		10	1	3	4	10
1991	Finland	CC		6	1	1	2	2
1996	Finland	WC		1	0	1	1	2
1996	Finland	WCH		2	0	0	0	0
1997	Finland	WC		5	2	2	4	6
1998	Finland	OLY		6	1	1	2	2
2002	Finland	OLY		4	0	1	1	0
2004	Finland	WCH		6	0	2	2	0
2006	Finland	OLY		8	2	1	3	2
Junior totals				12	7	5	12	12
Senior totals				68	13	17	30	30

See also

• List of NHL players with 1000 games played

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
• Teppo Numminen - Sabres.com