Ville Peltonen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ville Peltonen |
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Ville Peltonen with HIFK in October 2010
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| Born | 24 May 1973 Vantaa, Finland |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 182 lb (83 kg; 13 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | NHL San Jose Sharks Nashville Predators Florida Panthers SM-liiga Jokerit HIFK Elitserien Frölunda HC Nationalliga A HC Lugano KHL HC Dynamo Minsk |
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| National team |  Finland |
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| NHL Draft | 58th overall, 1993 San Jose Sharks |
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| Playing career | 1991–2014 | ||
Ville Sakari Peltonen (born May 24, 1973) is a Finnish ice hockey coach. He used to be a professional ice hockey forward. The San Jose Sharks picked Peltonen in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 58th player chosen overall. During his career, he played 382 games in the NHL. He played for the Sharks, Nashville Predators, and Florida Panthers. He also played for the Finland men's national ice hockey team. In 2016, he was added to the IIHF Hall of Fame.
Playing Career
Early Hockey Days
Ville Peltonen started playing hockey with a team called Etelä-Vantaan Urheilijat (EVU). When he was ten, he moved to HIFK. He first played in the Finnish SM-liiga during the 1991–92 SM-liiga season. He played six games that year. The next year, Peltonen scored 13 goals and 37 points in 46 games with HIFK. He won the Jarmo Wasama memorial trophy as the best new player.
Joining the NHL
The NHL team San Jose Sharks chose Peltonen in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 58th pick overall. Peltonen decided to stay with HIFK for two more seasons. After that, he went to play in the NHL.
In his first NHL season (1995–96), Peltonen played 31 games for the Sharks. He scored 13 points. He got his first NHL goal on February 26, 1996. It was against the Montreal Canadiens. He also played for the Sharks' minor league team, the Kansas City Blades. He scored 18 points in 29 games there. The Sharks did not make the playoffs that year.
The next season, Peltonen scored only five points in 28 NHL games. But with the Kentucky Thoroughblades, he scored 22 goals and 52 points in 40 games. After two years in the NHL, Peltonen went back to Europe. He played for Västra Frölunda HC in Swedish Elitserien. He was the top scorer in that league with 51 points in 49 games.
Return to North America and Europe
After a great season in Sweden, Peltonen returned to the NHL. He joined the Nashville Predators. However, his season was cut short after 14 games due to an injury. Before his injury, Peltonen had scored 10 points. He stayed with the Predators for two more seasons. In the 2000-2001 NHL season, he mostly played for the Milwaukee Admirals. He was even chosen for the AHL's All-Star Game.
After his time in Nashville, Peltonen went back to the SM-liiga. He signed a two-year deal with Jokerit. This team was a rival of his old team, HIFK. He became the captain of Jokerit. He was injured and played only 30 regular season games, scoring 29 points. But Jokerit and Peltonen won the Kanada-malja championship. He continued with Jokerit in the 2002–03 SM-liiga season. He scored 42 points in 49 games. He won the Raimo Kilpiö trophy as the league's "gentleman player." He was also picked for the league's All-Star team.
Swiss Success and Final NHL Stint
After two seasons with Jokerit, Peltonen moved to Switzerland. He played for HC Lugano in the National League A. He had three amazing seasons there. In his first year, he scored a career-high 28 goals, 44 assists, and 72 points in just 48 games. He was the league's best scorer. The next season, Peltonen scored 56 points. In his last season with Lugano, he was named the team captain. Peltonen led the playoffs in goal scoring. He also scored the winning goal to help his team win the league championship.
His great time with Lugano gave Peltonen another chance in the NHL. This time, he joined the Florida Panthers. In his first season with Florida, he scored 37 points in 72 games. The next season was difficult because of a leg injury. This caused Peltonen to miss 24 games. Peltonen stayed with the Panthers for one more season. Then he moved to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He played for HC Dinamo Minsk, where he was again the team captain. However, he only scored 26 points in 51 games for the team.
Back to HIFK and Retirement
After just one season in the KHL, Peltonen returned to his old team, HIFK. He signed a two-year contract in 2010 and was named team captain. Peltonen scored 28 goals and 65 points. He finished second in points in the whole league. He won the Lasse Oksanen trophy as the best player of the regular season. He also received the Raimo Kilpiö trophy for the second time. For the first time, he won the Kultainen kypärä (The Golden Helmet). This award is given to the best player as voted by other players. Peltonen was chosen for the All-Star team. HIFK won the Kanada-malja championship for the first time since 1998. Peltonen, Mikael Granlund, and Juha-Pekka Haataja led the team to victory.
In the 2011-12 SM-liiga season, Peltonen played 49 regular season games. He scored 24 goals and 48 points. He finished as the ninth-highest scorer in the league. After another good season, the 38-year-old decided to keep playing for HIFK. In a practice game in September 2012, Peltonen was injured. This affected his relationship with some players from the other team. In March 2014, Peltonen officially announced he was retiring as a player. He played his last game when HIFK was eliminated from the playoffs.
International Play
 Peltonen at the 2008 IIHF World Championship |
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| Medal record | ||
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| Men's Ice hockey | ||
Representing  Finland |
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| Olympic Games | ||
| Silver | 2006 Turin | |
| Bronze | 1994 Lillehammer | |
| Bronze | 1998 Nagano | |
| Bronze | 2010 Vancouver | |
| World Cup | ||
| Silver | 2004 Toronto | |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 1995 Sweden | |
| Silver | 1994 Italy | |
| Silver | 1998 Switzerland | |
| Silver | 1999 Norway | |
| Silver | 2007 Russia | |
| Bronze | 2000 Russia | |
| Bronze | 2006 Latvia | |
| Bronze | 2008 Canada | |
| IIHF European Junior Championships | ||
| Bronze | 1991 Czechoslovakia | |
Representing Finland
Peltonen played for the Finnish national team many times. He started playing for them in the 1994 Winter Olympics. Since then, Finland has played in 25 international tournaments. Peltonen played in 19 of them. This ties him with Finnish hockey legend Raimo Helminen. He was also the captain of his team six times in the IIHF World Championships. Peltonen is the most successful Finnish hockey player. He won 13 medals from his 19 tournaments. The next best player has nine medals.
Olympic and World Championship Success
Peltonen first played for the national team in November 1993. It was a game against the Czech Republic. He was chosen for the Finnish Olympic team for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. He played on a line with Jere Lehtinen and Saku Koivu. They were the team's best line. Finland won a bronze medal. Peltonen scored 7 points in 8 games. He also played in the 1994 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships. There, Finland won a silver medal after losing to Canada in a shootout.
The next year, Peltonen made history for Finnish hockey. He scored three goals (a hat trick) in the final game against Sweden. This led his team to a 4-1 victory. It was Finland's first World Championship win. Peltonen, Lehtinen, and Koivu were all named to the tournament's All-Star team.
In the 1998 Winter Olympics, Finnish NHL star Teemu Selänne took Peltonen's spot on the first line. However, Selänne was injured before the bronze medal game. Peltonen again showed his skills with Koivu and Lehtinen. He scored the winning goal against Canada. In the World Championships that same year, Peltonen tied the game against Canada. He scored with only ten seconds left. Finland reached the finals again but lost to Sweden.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player in 2014, Peltonen immediately started coaching. He began with the youth teams at his old club, HIFK. He was the head coach for the club’s under-20 team. He also became an assistant coach for Finland’s national team. He worked under Kari Jalonen at the 2015 and 2016 World Championships. He also coached during the 2014–15 and 2015-16 Euro Hockey Tour.
In April 2016, Peltonen signed with SC Bern in Switzerland. He was an assistant coach there, again with Jalonen. He helped Bern win the 2017 Swiss national championship. Peltonen left the club after the 2017-18 season. He then became the head coach at Lausanne HC. In the 2018-19 season, he led Lausanne to the semifinals in the Swiss league. He was fired at the end of February 2020. In 2021, he was an assistant coach for Germany's national team. He worked at the Deutschland Cup and the World Championship. He worked under his countryman, head coach Toni Söderholm. Later that month, he signed a three-year contract with his home team HIFK as the head coach. In 2023, his contract was extended until 2026. In 2025, after a disappointing playoff run, he was fired as HIFK's head coach. His contract was ended. Olli Jokinen replaced Peltonen.
Personal Life
Peltonen is married to Hanna, a Finnish figure skater. They have four children. Their twin sons, Alex and Jesper, were born around 1997. Their daughter, Emmi Peltonen, is also a Finnish figure skater. She was born in November 1999. Their youngest daughter, Nelli, was born around 2005.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1990–91 | HIFK | FIN U20 | 36 | 21 | 16 | 37 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | ||
| 1991–92 | HIFK | FIN U20 | 37 | 28 | 23 | 51 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1991–92 | HIFK | SM-l | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | HIFK | FIN U20 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | HIFK | SM-l | 46 | 13 | 24 | 37 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1993–94 | HIFK | SM-l | 43 | 16 | 22 | 38 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1994–95 | HIFK | SM-l | 45 | 20 | 16 | 36 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1995–96 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 31 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 29 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 28 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Kentucky Thoroughblades | AHL | 40 | 22 | 30 | 52 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Västra Frölunda HC | SEL | 45 | 22 | 29 | 51 | 44 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 1998–99 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 14 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 79 | 6 | 22 | 28 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 23 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Milwaukee Admirals | IHL | 53 | 27 | 33 | 60 | 26 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2001–02 | Jokerit | SM-l | 30 | 11 | 18 | 29 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Jokerit | SM-l | 49 | 23 | 19 | 42 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | HC Lugano | NLA | 48 | 28 | 44 | 72 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 8 | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Lugano | NLA | 44 | 24 | 32 | 56 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2005–06 | HC Lugano | NLA | 39 | 23 | 25 | 48 | 22 | 17 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 8 | ||
| 2006–07 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 72 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 56 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 79 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Dinamo Minsk | KHL | 51 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | HIFK | SM-l | 54 | 28 | 37 | 65 | 16 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 6 | ||
| 2011–12 | HIFK | SM-l | 49 | 24 | 24 | 48 | 36 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | HIFK | SM-l | 43 | 13 | 16 | 29 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | HIFK | SM-l | 55 | 13 | 29 | 42 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| SM-l totals | 420 | 161 | 205 | 366 | 176 | 42 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 10 | ||||
| NHL totals | 382 | 52 | 96 | 148 | 119 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| NLA totals | 131 | 75 | 101 | 176 | 54 | 38 | 16 | 27 | 43 | 18 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Finland | EJC | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | |
| 1993 | Finland | WJC | 7 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 20 | |
| 1994 | Finland | OG | 8 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1994 | Finland | WC | 8 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | |
| 1995 | Finland | WC | 8 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 4 | |
| 1996 | Finland | WCH | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1996 | Finland | WC | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1997 | Finland | WC | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1998 | Finland | OG | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |
| 1998 | Finland | WC | 10 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | |
| 1999 | Finland | WC | 12 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2000 | Finland | WC | 9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2003 | Finland | WC | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2004 | Finland | WCH | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2004 | Finland | WC | 7 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2005 | Finland | WC | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2006 | Finland | OG | 8 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 6 | |
| 2006 | Finland | WC | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | |
| 2007 | Finland | WC | 9 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2008 | Finland | WC | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2010 | Finland | OG | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 13 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 22 | |||
| Senior totals | 145 | 46 | 62 | 108 | 64 | |||
Awards
SM-liiga Awards
- Kanada-malja championship (2002, 2011)
- Jarmo Wasama memorial trophy (Best new player in the league, 1993)
- Raimo Kilpiö trophy (The gentleman player of the league, 2003, 2011)
- Lasse Oksanen trophy (Best player of the regular season, 2011)
- Kultainen kypärä (The best player of the league voted by other players, 2011)
- President's Trophy (Person who has helped ice hockey the most, 2005)
- Chosen for the SM-liiga All-Star team (2003, 2011)
Other Awards
- Finnish Jr. A League Runners-up (1990–91)
- Ice Hockey World Championships Tournament All-Star (1995, 1998, 2004)
- NLA-league Championship (2006)
- Leading scorer Swedish Elitserien (1998)
- Leading scorer Swiss NLA-league (2004)
- The Most Valuable Player of the national team (2005)
- Spengler Cup Winner (2009)
- Added to the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2016
