Jori Lehterä facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lehterä in 2016
Born	(1987-12-23) 23 December 1987 (age 37) Lempäälä, Finland
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
Liiga team Former teams	HIFK Tappara Jokerit Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Sibir Novosibirsk St. Louis Blues Philadelphia Flyers SKA Saint Petersburg Spartak Moscow
National team	Finland
NHL Draft	65th overall, 2008 St. Louis Blues
Playing career	2006–present

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Finland
Winter Olympics
Bronze	2014 Sochi
World Championships
Silver	2014 Belarus

Jori Jonatan Lehterä (born on December 23, 1987) is a professional ice hockey player from Finland. He plays as a centre for HIFK in the Liiga, which is Finland's top hockey league. Jori was chosen by the St. Louis Blues in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He is also a bronze medalist from the 2014 Winter Olympics, where he played for the Finnish national team.

Jori Lehterä's Hockey Journey

Starting in Finland

Jori Lehterä showed great skill early in his career. He was a top scorer for the junior team of Jokerit, a well-known Finnish hockey club. This success helped him join Jokerit's main team in the SM-liiga (now called Liiga) in 2006.

He was supposed to play for Finland at the 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Unfortunately, an injury kept him from joining the team. In April 2007, he signed a three-year contract with another Finnish team, Tappara.

Drafted by the NHL

In 2008, the St. Louis Blues from the NHL picked Jori Lehterä in their draft. He was the 65th player chosen overall. After being drafted, he moved to North America for a short time in the 2008–09 season. He played seven games for the Peoria Rivermen in the American Hockey League (AHL), which is a league below the NHL.

After his brief time in the AHL, Jori returned to Tappara in Finland. He had an amazing season there! He scored 19 goals and made 50 assists, totaling 69 points. This outstanding performance earned him the award for the SM-liiga's Most Valuable Player (MVP) that season.

Playing in Russia's KHL

After playing in Finland, Jori moved to Russia to play in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He first played one season for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Then, from 2011 to 2014, he played for Sibir Novosibirsk.

During his time with Sibir Novosibirsk, Jori consistently played well. In his last season there (2013–14), he led his team in points with 44 (12 goals and 32 assists). His strong play also earned him a spot on the Finnish national team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. He helped Finland win a bronze medal, scoring one goal and three assists in four games.

Back to the NHL

On July 1, 2014, Jori Lehterä signed a two-year contract with the St. Louis Blues. Even though they had drafted him in 2008, this was his first full chance to play for them in the NHL. He quickly made an impact, even being named the NHL's First Star of the Week in November 2014. He scored four goals and two assists in just three games that week!

In June 2017, Jori was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers as part of a bigger trade. He played for the Flyers for a couple of seasons.

Return to the KHL and Finland

After his time in the NHL, Jori Lehterä returned to the KHL. On June 6, 2019, he signed a one-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg. In the 2019–20 season, he scored 15 goals and had 30 points before the season ended early.

He then signed another one-year deal in the KHL with Spartak Moscow on May 12, 2020.

On June 16, 2022, Jori Lehterä made a big return to the Finnish Liiga after 12 years away. He signed a one-year contract with his former team, Tappara, who were the reigning champions at the time.

Personal Life

Jori Lehterä comes from a hockey family! His uncle, Tero Lehterä, was also a famous ice hockey player. Tero was part of the Finnish team that won a gold medal at the 1995 Ice Hockey World Championships.

Awards and Honours

Jori Lehterä has won many awards and honors throughout his career: