Hannu Virta
Finnish defenceman, four-time best in SM-liiga, Olympic bronze medalist.
Hailing from Turku, Finland, Hannu Markus Virta played professional ice hockey as a defenceman before retiring. He earned the Finnish Elite League's top defenceman honor four times and was selected as an all-star on five occasions. His rookie season in 1981–82 also brought him the Jarmo Wasama memorial trophy.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Defence
- Shoots
- Left
- Prospect team
- Hockey Club Lugano
- Born
- 22 March 1963
- Birthplace
- Turku, FIN
- Draft
- 38th overall
- Drafted by
- Buffalo Sabres
- Played for
- SM-liiga
- TPS
- NHL
- Buffalo Sabres
- Nationalliga A
- ZSC Lions
- Nationalliga B
- Grasshopper Zürich
Facts from the source article.
Career
Hannu Virta was picked 38th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round of the 1981 NHL draft. Across five seasons with Buffalo, he suited up for 245 regular-season games, notching 25 goals and 101 assists, and added one goal and three helpers in 17 playoff appearances. In 1986, Virta headed back to Finland’s SM-liiga to join TPS Turku, where he played through 1994 and returned for the 1996–97 campaign. He helped TPS capture three straight league titles starting in 1988–89. Over 461 league games, he put up 68 goals and 213 assists for 281 points. He later spent time in Switzerland, skating for the GCK Lions in the Swiss B League from 1994 to 1996 and for the ZSC Lions in the Swiss A League in 1997–98. On the international stage, Virta earned a bronze at the 1982 World Junior Championships and another bronze at the 1994 Winter Olympics. He appeared in seven IIHF World Championships, taking gold in 1995 and silver in 1994, and led the tournament in assists in 1996. He also played in the 1987 Canada Cup and the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. TPS Turku has retired his number 23.
More in HC TPS Players
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced