Tommi Santala

Tommi Santala (born 27 June 1979 in Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for HIFK of the Liiga.

Playing career Santala started his pro career in Jokerit in the Finnish SM-liiga in the 1998–99 season. After a total of four seasons with HPK, Santala moved to the Thrashers' organisation for the 2003–04 NHL season. Santala divided his time between 50 games in the AHL Chicago Wolves and 33 NHL games. He spent the 2004–05 NHL lockout with the Wolves registering 40 assists and 48 points in 67 games. During the post-season he helped Chicago win the Robert W. Clarke Trophy, for AHL Western Conference Champions, by adding 11 points in 18 games. However, the Wolves were swept in the Calder Cup finals by the Philadelphia Phantoms.

After the lockout, Santala was assigned to Jokerit by the Thrashers. He played one year with Jokerit before Atlanta traded him to the Vancouver Canucks. Santala played 30 games for the Canucks during the 2006–07 season, but he suffered a knee injury on 8 December 2006 in a game vs. the Carolina Hurricanes that forced him to miss the majority of the season. On 23 December 2016 he signed a deal with Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Unhappy with his KHL experience, Santala returned to EHC Kloten on a one-year deal for the 2017-18 season.

International play Santala played for Team Finland in the 1999 World Junior Championship registering two points through six games. He represented Finland at the World Championships in, 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2010. However, he only played one game for the 2006 Finnish team that won the Bronze medal. Santala had a much larger role for Finland during the 2002 Karelia Cup. Finland won the Gold and Santala was named a Second Team All-Star.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1998–99 Jokerit SM-l 30 0 0 0 14 3 0 0 0 0 1999–00 Jokerit SM-l 14 0 1 1 2 — — — — — 1999–00 HPK SM-l 38 8 19 27 63 8 3 4 7 10 2000–01 HPK SM-l 56 16 24 40 90 — — — — — 2001–02 HPK SM-l 17 6 16 22 14 — — — — — 2002–03 HPK SM-l 50 13 38 51 92 13 6 6 12 18 2003–04 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 33 1 2 3 22 — — — — — 2003–04 Chicago Wolves AHL 50 15 22 37 34 10 1 6 7 31 2004–05 Chicago Wolves AHL 67 8 40 48 83 18 5 6 11 42 2005–06 Jokerit SM-l 43 9 23 32 80 — — — — — 2006–07 Manitoba Moose AHL 6 0 3 3 8 — — — — — 2006–07 Vancouver Canucks NHL 30 1 5 6 24 1 0 0 0 0 2007–08 Jokerit SM-l 56 28 30 58 82 13 4 12 16 18 2008–09 Kloten Flyers NLA 50 13 35 48 96 15 4 5 9 18 2009–10 Kloten Flyers NLA 47 17 32 49 59 10 4 5 9 20 2010–11 Kloten Flyers NLA 49 10 36 46 78 16 4 7 11 32 2011–12 Kloten Flyers NLA 47 9 35 44 46 5 1 2 3 4 2012–13 Kloten Flyers NLA 45 11 27 38 62 — — — — — 2013–14 Kloten Flyers NLA 39 14 25 39 44 16 5 9 14 22 2014–15 Kloten Flyers NLA 39 9 15 24 42 — — — — — 2015–16 Kloten Flyers NLA 48 13 26 39 50 4 0 2 2 6 NHL totals632794610000

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 1999 Finland WJC 5th 6 1 1 2 6 2003 Finland WC 5th 7 0 1 1 6 2006 Finland WC 1 0 0 0 2 2009 Finland WC 5th 7 0 0 0 4 2010 Finland WC 6th 6 0 0 0 4 Junior totals 6 1 1 2 6 Senior totals 21 0 1 1 16

Transactions June 26, 1999 — Drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 9th round, 245th overall. June 14, 2006 — Traded to the Vancouver Canucks along with a 5th round pick in the 2007 NHL entry draft for a conditional draft pick in the 2007 NHL entry draft.