Valtteri Filppula facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Valtteri Filppula |
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Filppula in 2016
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| Born | 20 March 1984 Vantaa, Finland |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Mestis team Former teams |
Jokerit Detroit Red Wings Tampa Bay Lightning Philadelphia Flyers New York Islanders Genève-Servette HC |
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| National team |  Finland |
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| NHL Draft | 95th overall, 2002 Detroit Red Wings |
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| Playing career | 2003–2025 | ||
Valtteri Filppula, born on March 20, 1984, is a Finnish ice hockey player. He played as a forward and is known for his long and successful career.
Filppula won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008. He also played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Islanders. In 2022, he helped Finland win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics and the 2022 IIHF World Championship. These wins made him the first Finnish player to join the exclusive Triple Gold Club. This club includes players who have won the Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal, and a World Championship gold medal.
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Valtteri Filppula's Hockey Journey
Starting with the Detroit Red Wings (2005–2013)
The Detroit Red Wings picked Filppula in the third round of the 2002 NHL entry draft. He began his hockey journey with the Jokerit team in Finland. By the 2003–04 season, he was a key offensive player for their top league team, SM-liiga. In 2005, he won a silver medal with Jokerit.
After that, Filppula moved to North America. He joined the Grand Rapids Griffins in the American Hockey League (AHL). This league is a step below the NHL. He was even chosen to play in the 2005–06 AHL All-Star Game.
On December 15, 2005, Filppula played his first game in the NHL with the Red Wings. He was the first Finnish player to ever play an NHL game for Detroit. His first NHL goal came on October 28, 2006, against the St. Louis Blues. He scored his first playoff goal on April 12, 2007, in his very first playoff game.
Filppula continued to play well for the Red Wings. In the 2007–08 season, he scored 36 points. He won his first Stanley Cup when the Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2008 Finals. He scored a crucial goal in the final game, helping Detroit win 3–2.
In 2008, Filppula signed a five-year contract with the Red Wings. During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, he played for his old team, Jokerit, in Finland. He returned to the Red Wings once the lockout ended.
Playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning (2013–2017)
On July 5, 2013, Filppula signed a five-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. On December 1, 2014, he reached 200 career NHL assists in a game against the New York Rangers. A month later, on January 6, 2015, Filppula played in his 600th NHL game. This milestone happened during a win against the Montreal Canadiens.
Time with the Philadelphia Flyers (2017–2018)
On March 1, 2017, the Lightning traded Filppula to the Philadelphia Flyers. This trade helped Tampa Bay manage their team salary. Filppula made his Flyers debut the next day, scoring a tying goal in a shootout win. Before the 2017–18 season, the Flyers named Filppula an alternate captain.
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Joining the New York Islanders (2018–2019)
On July 1, 2018, Filppula signed a one-year contract with the New York Islanders. In the 2018–19 season, he showed how versatile he was. He played in all forward positions and scored 17 goals and 14 assists. He helped the Islanders reach the playoffs and advance to the second round.
Returning to Detroit (2019–2021)
On July 1, 2019, Filppula signed a two-year contract to return to the Red Wings. On February 1, 2020, he played in his 1,000th career NHL game. He became the eighth Finnish-born player to reach this amazing milestone.
Playing in Switzerland (2021–2024)
On August 24, 2021, Filppula joined Genève-Servette HC in Switzerland's National League (NL). He played there for three seasons. In 2023, Filppula won the National League Championship with his team. He also won the Champions Hockey League with them in 2024.
Final Season with Jokerit (2024–2025)
In August 2024, Filppula returned to his original team, Jokerit, for one final season. He also became one of the club's owners and decided not to take a salary for the season. Filppula was named the team captain.
On March 31, 2025, Filppula and Jokerit won the championship in the Mestis league, which is the second-highest league in Finnish hockey. A month later, on April 29, 2025, the 41-year-old forward announced he was retiring from hockey.
International Hockey Achievements
.jpg) Filppula (number 51) battling for faceoff against Germany at the 2010 Winter Olympics |
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| Medal record | ||
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| Representing Finland |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| Winter Olympics | ||
| Gold | 2022 Beijing | |
| Bronze | 2010 Vancouver | |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2022 Finland | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Bronze | 2003 Canada | |
| Bronze | 2004 Finland | |
Filppula was the captain for Finland at the World Under-18 Championships in 2002. At the 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, he scored four goals and five assists. He was chosen as a tournament all-star.
He was selected to play for Finland at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Finland won a bronze medal there, beating Slovakia. Filppula scored an empty-net goal in that game.
Filppula was also chosen for the Finland team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. However, he got an ankle injury and could not play in the Olympics.
In 2016, Filppula was named to Finland's 2016 World Cup of Hockey team. He scored Finland's only goal in that tournament.
Filppula was the captain of the Finnish Olympic team that won the gold medal in 2022. He also captained the team that won the gold medal at the 2022 IIHF World Championship. He was even a flag bearer for Finland at the 2022 Olympic opening ceremony.
With his two gold medals in 2022, Filppula became the first Finnish player to join the Triple Gold Club. This is a very special group of players.
Awards and Honors
| Award | Year | |
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| Finnish Ice Hockey Association | ||
| Kari Jalonen Award | 2003 | |
| President's trophy | 2022 | |
| AHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 2006 | |
| NHL | ||
| Stanley Cup champion | 2008 | |
| NL | ||
| Champion | 2023 | |
| CHL | ||
| Champion | 2024 | |
| Mestis | ||
| Champion | 2025 | |
Images for kids
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Filppula (number 51) battling for faceoff against Germany at the 2010 Winter Olympics
