Veli-Pekka Ketola

Infobox Ice Hockey Player


played_for = SM-liiga
Karhut
Ässät
1. Divisioona
KalPa
WHA
Winnipeg Jets
Calgary Cowboys
NHL
Colorado Rockies
league = SM-liiga
position = Centre
shoots = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 1
weight_lb = 238
nickname = Vellu
nationality = FIN
birth_date = birth date and age|1948|3|28
birth_place = Pori, FIN
draft =
draft_year =
draft_team =
career_start = 1963
career_end = 1983

Veli-Pekka Ketola (born on 28 March, 1948 in Pori, Finland. He is a retired professional ice hockey player and coach.

Playing career

Veli-Pekka Ketola played in the Finnish League, World Hockey Association, and National Hockey League. While Ketola was playing for the Ässät of the Finnish League, he won the league scoring twice in 1971 and 1979 and was a six-time all-star.

In 1974, Ketola came to North America to play for the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association. He played just over two and a half seasons, from 1974–75 to 1976–77, for the Jets and he played the last 17 games of the 1976–77 WHA season for the Calgary Cowboys. After those three years in the WHA, he went back to Finland to once again play for the Ässät Pori. Despite being signed by the Vancouver Canucks on 06 March, 1979, he didn't play for a North American team again until he played 44 games for the Colorado Rockies of the NHL during the 1981–82 season.

Coaching career

Veli-Pekka Ketola coached Ässät Pori of the Finnish League from 1993–94 season to 1996–97 season's first six games.

Honours and accolades

*Six-time all-star in Finland.
*Elected to the Finnish Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990 as a player.
*Won the Best Hockey Player of Finland Trophy in 1974 and 1978.
*Won the Matti Keinonen trophy in 1978–79.
*His number 13 was retired by Assat Pori.
*He won the Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy the year it was introduced (1978).
*Led the Finnish League in scoring in 1971.

ee also

*List of NHL players
*List of NHL seasons
*List of WHA seasons

References

*hockeydb|4216
* [http://www.azhockey.com/Ke.htm#Veli-Pekka%20Ketola A to Z Encyclopaedia of Ice Hockey]