- Anssi Salmela
Infobox Ice Hockey Player
image caption = puic|
image_size = 200px
team =New Jersey Devils
league = NHL
position = Defence
shoots = Left
height_ft = 5
height_in = 11
weight_lb = 190
former_teams =Tappara
Pelicans
nationality = FIN
birth_date = Birth date and age|1984|08|13|mf=y
birth_place =Tampere , FIN
draft = undrafted
draft_year =
draft_team =
career_start =2003 Anssi Salmela (born
August 13 ,1984 ) is a Finnish professionalice hockey defenceman with theNew Jersey Devils of theNational Hockey League .Career
He started to play ice hockey in a Finnish hockey team called Ilves. His professional career started in the 2003–2004 season with Finnish
SM-liiga sideTappara , where he made his debut onJanuary 24 ,2004 . His place was settled in Tappara for another year, but the next year he was transferred to Pelicans. In 2007 he moved back to Tappara again.He was a member of the Finnish team that won a bronze medal in the World U20 Championship. He made his debut for the senior national team on
August 31 ,2007 . He missed the 2007–2008 competition but was back in the2008 IIHF World Championships held in Canada in 2008. OnMay 22 ,2008 he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the NHL teamNew Jersey Devils .His playing style is very physical and he does certainly not avoid checking the other players. He acts very confidently with the puck and is able to skate very fastly if necessary. Salmela is very qualified and he had many offers from several NHL teams for the season 08–09, but he chose the New Jersey Devils. His weakness is the penalties. This player takes often too many of them (as you can see from the tables below), which affects the game of the rest of the team because they must play shorthanded.
Career statistics
Regular Season
*
Juha Rantasila award in 2007–2008
*2007–2008 award of the most goals made by a defencemanReferences
1. Järvinen, Karvanen & Niinisalo. Anssi Salmela. 24.8.2007. http://www.jatkoaika.com/smliiga.php?pelaaja=4104&ottelutilastot=Tappara
2. International Ice Hockey Federation. Salmela Anssi. http://www.iihf.com/Hydra/player/FIN/player.IHFIN11308198401.php
3. Teemu Karenius. Haastattelussa Anssi Salmela, Tappara. 23.11.2007. http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/hockeynight/viikonhaastattelu.shtml?584820
4. YLE. IS: Anssi Salmela New Jerseyyn. 22.5.2008. http://yle.fi/urheilu/lajit/jaakiekko/nhl/2008/05/is_anssi_salmela_new_jerseyyn_108548.html
External links
*hockeydb|78387
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