# Kristian Kuusela

Kristian Kuusela (born 19 February 1983) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey right wing. Kuusela announced his retirement on 27 April 2023 after winning the Liiga championship with Tappara. Kuusela played a total of 1107 regular season games with 738 points. During his Liiga career Kuusela represented Ässät, Kärpät, Blues and Tappara. Foreign clubs Kuusela reprecented were MODO Hockey from Sweden and Amur Khabarovsk from Russia.

## Awards

* Swedish Champion with Modo Hockey: 2006–07.
* Finnish Champion with 4x Tappara and 1x Kärpät: 2007–08, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2021–22, 2022–23.
* Liiga Runners-up with 1x Ässät, 1x Kärpät and 3x Tappara: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2017–18.
* Lasse Oksanen trophy: 2015–16
* Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy: 2015–16
* Kultainen kypärä: 2015–16
* CHL Champion with Tappara : 2022–23
* Gold medal at the Ice Hockey World Championships: 2019

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1998–99 | Tappara | FIN U18 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 25 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–2000 | Tappara | FIN U18 | 17 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–2000 | Tappara | FIN U20 | 27 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 35 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2000–01 | Tappara | FIN U18 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2000–01 | Tappara | FIN U20 | 41 | 16 | 30 | 46 | 36 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 2001–02 | Tappara | FIN U20 | 40 | 11 | 19 | 30 | 44 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2001–02 | FPS | Mestis | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002–03 | Ässät | FIN U20 | 26 | 6 | 19 | 25 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002–03 | Ässät | SM-l | 31 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | Ässät | FIN U20 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | Ässät | SM-l | 53 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2004–05 | Ässät | SM-l | 55 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | Ässät | SM-l | 56 | 26 | 17 | 43 | 40 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 12 |
| 2006–07 | Ässät | SM-l | 44 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2006–07 | Modo Hockey | SEL | 11 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 14 |
| 2007–08 | Kärpät | SM-l | 56 | 18 | 27 | 45 | 26 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 0 |
| 2008–09 | Kärpät | SM-l | 57 | 23 | 20 | 43 | 63 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 10 |
| 2009–10 | Kärpät | SM-l | 55 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 84 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 2010–11 | Kärpät | SM-l | 59 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2011–12 | Blues | SM-l | 60 | 16 | 17 | 33 | 14 | 16 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 8 |
| 2012–13 | Blues | SM-l | 59 | 10 | 30 | 40 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2013–14 | Tappara | Liiga | 60 | 19 | 27 | 46 | 28 | 20 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 8 |
| 2014–15 | Tappara | Liiga | 60 | 14 | 32 | 46 | 10 | 20 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 0 |
| 2015–16 | Tappara | Liiga | 56 | 20 | 39 | 59 | 14 | 17 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 6 |
| 2016–17 | Amur Khabarovsk | KHL | 52 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2016–17 | Tappara | Liiga | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 |
| 2017–18 | Tappara | Liiga | 60 | 12 | 32 | 44 | 12 | 16 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 16 |
| 2018–19 | Tappara | Liiga | 60 | 19 | 35 | 54 | 16 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 4 |
| 2019–20 | Tappara | Liiga | 55 | 20 | 33 | 53 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| SM-l/Liiga totals | SM-l/Liiga totals | SM-l/Liiga totals | 946 | 255 | 383 | 638 | 437 | 177 | 46 | 70 | 116 | 76 |

### International

| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2000 | Finland | U17 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2019 | Finland | WC | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |