Ossi Väänänen
Finnish defenceman who played in the NHL and captained Jokerit.
Ossi Reijo Juhani Väänänen, born August 18, 1980, is a retired Finnish defenseman who served as captain for Jokerit in the KHL. He earned two silver medals as runner-up for the Kanada-malja in the Finnish Liiga, in 2000 and 2005. The Phoenix Coyotes originally selected him in the NHL draft, and he later played for the Colorado Avalanche, Philadelphia Flyers, and Vancouver Canucks.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Defense
- Shoots
- Left
- Played for
- Jokerit
- Phoenix Coyotes
- Colorado Avalanche
- Djurgårdens IF
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Vancouver Canucks
- Dynamo Minsk
- Born
- 18 August 1980
- Birthplace
- Vantaa, Finland
- Draft
- 43rd overall
- Drafted by
- Phoenix Coyotes
Facts from the source article.
Playing career
Ossi Väänänen came up through the junior ranks of Jokerit, playing for the club’s under-18 and junior teams before the Phoenix Coyotes picked him in the second round of the 1998 NHL draft, 43rd overall. He stayed in Finland for two more seasons with Jokerit in the SM-liiga, helping the team finish as runners-up for the Kanada-malja in 2000. Väänänen made his NHL debut with the Coyotes in 2000–01, putting up 16 points as a rookie. During the 2003–04 season, his fourth with Phoenix, the Coyotes traded him to the Colorado Avalanche at the deadline alongside Chris Gratton and a second-round pick—later used to select Paul Stastny—in exchange for Derek Morris and Keith Ballard. The NHL lockout sent Väänänen back to Jokerit for 2004–05, where he earned another silver medal after losing the Finnish championship to Kärpät. He returned to the Avalanche for the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, then moved to Europe to play for Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish Elitserien during 2007–08. On July 1, 2008, Väänänen signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. Late in the 2008–09 season, on February 27, 2009, the Flyers placed him on waivers, and he was claimed by the Vancouver Canucks. The move, which also involved waiving Glen Metropolit, came because the Flyers needed to free up cap space for the return of forward Daniel Brière from injury. On August 2, 2009, Väänänen joined fellow Finn Ville Peltonen by signing a one-year contract with Dynamo Minsk of the KHL. He played 52 games and recorded six assists, but Minsk missed the playoffs in 2009–10. On May 3, 2010, he returned to Finland, signing with his original club, Jokerit, in the SM-liiga. After six more seasons with Jokerit, Väänänen retired from professional hockey on July 13, 2016, having been limited to just six games in the 2015–16 season due to injury.
International play
Väänänen first played for Finland as a junior at the 1998 European Junior Championships, then appeared at the World Junior Championships in 1999 and 2000. On the senior stage, he played in five World Championships, taking silver in 2001, bronze in 2008, and gold in 2011. During the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, he set his personal international best with three points in four games, helping Finland reach the final, where Canada beat them. He debuted at the Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002. Four years later, he was selected for the 2006 Turin Games and received a silver medal, though he did not play in any of the tournament’s matches.
More in Phoenix Coyotes Players
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced