IIHF Hall Of Fame Induction 2024
Petteri NUMMELIN
Player
Born Turku, Finland, November 25, 1972
Petteri Nummelin was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2024 as a Player. Since he was unable to attend the ceremony due to scheduling conflicts, he was represented by his son Rene.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Andrea Cardin
A thinking man’s hockey player with a knack for making the right play, Petteri Nummelin is tied for 12th spot on the list of career games played at the Men’s World Championship. His 104 appearances over 15 tournaments is testament to his exceptional level of play and his ability to maintain that level for an extended period of time.
In domestic league play, Nummelin was happy playing in Europe, making a brief foray into the NHL at age 27. The son of Finnish Hall of Famer Timo Nummelin, Petteri got his start with TPS in his hometown of Turku while still a teenager. He made his debut with Suomi at the 1992 World Juniors in Germany, but he made his first great impression three years later at the Men’s Worlds in Sweden. The Finns beat the hosts, 4-1, in the gold-medal game, earning the country their first ever gold at the WM.
Based on his play at this tournament, the Swedish club team Frolunda signed Nummelin to a contract, and he moved across the border to play in the SEL for two seasons. From there he moved to Switzerland to play for Davos for three years, after which he was drafted 133rd overall by the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000 NHL draft at the age of 27. Nummelin decided to give North America a try, and he had a very solid season with a team that didn’t make the playoffs in its first year of play.
In domestic league play, Nummelin was happy playing in Europe, making a brief foray into the NHL at age 27. The son of Finnish Hall of Famer Timo Nummelin, Petteri got his start with TPS in his hometown of Turku while still a teenager. He made his debut with Suomi at the 1992 World Juniors in Germany, but he made his first great impression three years later at the Men’s Worlds in Sweden. The Finns beat the hosts, 4-1, in the gold-medal game, earning the country their first ever gold at the WM.
Based on his play at this tournament, the Swedish club team Frolunda signed Nummelin to a contract, and he moved across the border to play in the SEL for two seasons. From there he moved to Switzerland to play for Davos for three years, after which he was drafted 133rd overall by the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000 NHL draft at the age of 27. Nummelin decided to give North America a try, and he had a very solid season with a team that didn’t make the playoffs in its first year of play.
Petteri Nummelin played in 15 Men’s World Championships, the most ever at the time of his retirement in 2010.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation
Nummelin returned to Switzerland and played for Lugano for the next five years where he had the rare distinction of winning the scoring title in 2003-04 as a defender as well as two national championships during this time. The NHL urge was too great to resist a second time, however, especially since he was wooed to Minnesota by Mikko Koivu, whom Nummelin used to babysit many years earlier. But two early playoff exits and a 35-yearold body prompted Nummelin to return to Switzerland for a third stint.
No matter where he played, the common thread in Nummelin’s career was playing for the national team. From 1995 to 2010 he played for Finland at least once (except 2008), winning seven medals along the way. From 1998 to 2001, Finland won a medal each year at the Men’s Worlds (three silver, one bronze), establishing themselves as an elite team no matter what the roster looked like. Nummelin was named to the All-Star Team four times and named IIHF Directorate Best Defender twice.
In his final game with the national team, a 2-1 quarter-finals loss to the Czechs in 2010, Nummelin played a game high 28:40 wearing the “A.” He led all defenders in scoring that tournament with seven points. Twice in his career he had been captain, at the 2001 and 2002 Men’s Worlds, and by the time he retired no one had appeared in more WM tournaments in IIHF history.
A sportsman who made a career playing a tough position despite being a smaller player, Nummelin was smart and smooth all over the ice. His play defined an era of Finnish hockey which started with an historic gold and continued with a consistently high level of play.
No matter where he played, the common thread in Nummelin’s career was playing for the national team. From 1995 to 2010 he played for Finland at least once (except 2008), winning seven medals along the way. From 1998 to 2001, Finland won a medal each year at the Men’s Worlds (three silver, one bronze), establishing themselves as an elite team no matter what the roster looked like. Nummelin was named to the All-Star Team four times and named IIHF Directorate Best Defender twice.
In his final game with the national team, a 2-1 quarter-finals loss to the Czechs in 2010, Nummelin played a game high 28:40 wearing the “A.” He led all defenders in scoring that tournament with seven points. Twice in his career he had been captain, at the 2001 and 2002 Men’s Worlds, and by the time he retired no one had appeared in more WM tournaments in IIHF history.
A sportsman who made a career playing a tough position despite being a smaller player, Nummelin was smart and smooth all over the ice. His play defined an era of Finnish hockey which started with an historic gold and continued with a consistently high level of play.
