Jere Karalahti Jere Juhani Karalahti ( born March 25 , 1975 , in Helsinki , Finland ) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman . He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings as their sixth - round pick in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft . Playing career . Early career in Finland . Karalahti played his first major ice hockey games for HIFK in the 1993 - 94 season . Karalahti was soon seen as a good physical defenceman and he started to have more ice time season by season . Karalahti ' s best SM - liiga moment came in 1998 when HIFK won the SM - liiga championship over Ilves . Karalahti played a good season , posting a career high in points ( 30 ) . Karalahti improved his record by three points in the following season and was offered a contract by the NHL ' s Los Angeles Kings . NHL . Karalahti moved to North America in 1999 after difficulties with his visa , playing the rest of the season for the Los Angeles Kings . After a good first season , Karalahti ' s time on ice was reduced and he eventually requested a trade to the Nashville Predators , which he got in 2001 . In the summer of 2002 Karalahti was suspended for six months by the NHL for a drug violation , and he returned to Finland . Return to Finland . Upon returning to the SM - liiga , Karalahti resumed his role as one of HIFK ' s premier defensemen . Head coach Doug Shedden made Karalahti team captain for the 2005 – 06 season , but he lost most of the season due to injuries . At the close of the season , Karalahti stirred up controversy by refusing to play in the bronze medal game for the second time in his HIFK career , citing a lack of interest . He was subsequently stripped of his captaincy . Karalahti ' s contract was not renewed by HIFK and he left the club he had been representing his entire career in Finland . Karalahti was approached by several European teams including Jokerit and Kölner Haie but he chose Kärpät , a Northern Finland team which had rapidly risen to the Finnish Ice Hockey Elite . During his debut season Karalahti returned to his own level as the leading defenceman of Kärpät . Karalahti was released from Kärpät after he was arrested by Finnish police and taken into custody . Move to Slovakia . After being a free agent for some time Karalahti was apporached by HC Slovan Bratislava , a top Slovakia n side which is the current Slovakian League champion . Karalahti ' s move to Bratislava came to jeopardy after the transfer fell because of a missing signature in the transfer documents . Juuso Pulliainen , Karalahti ' s agent , asured that both the Slovakian Ice Hockey Administration and Finnish Ice Hockey Administration have agreed that Karalahti ' s rights are owned by Slovan , hence meaning he can play for Slovan if he wants to . However , Karalahti has stated that he wants to clear things in Finland before rushing into anything . Move to Germany . On July 24 , 2008 Jere Karalahti signed a contract with the Germany Elite League Club Hamburg Freezers in Germany for the 2008 - 09 season . Canceled move to Russia . In May 2009 , Karalahti announced that he would leave Hamburg to play for HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk in the Russia n Kontinental Hockey League . However , only a few weeks later he changed his mind and decided to re - sign with the Freezers instead . Substance abuse . In a January 21 , 2002 interview with " Sports Illustrated " Karalahti detailed his history of drug use , which included an arrest in 1996 for possession of various quantities of marijuana , amphetamines and heroin that resulted in a brief suspension by the SM - liiga . He told the magazine that he had been drug - free for five years . Nevertheless , on August 16 of that year , the NHL suspended him for six months for his third violation of the league ' s substance abuse policy . However , this time the violation involved alcohol , not drugs . Following the suspension , Karalahti returned to Finland . His NHL suspension resulted in him being unable to compete in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey . For the 2007 – 08 season , Karalahti made a contract with Oulu Kärpät , the then SM - liiga champion . This was his first time playing for any Finnish team other than his ' home team ' , Helsinki IFK . It was speculated that he would attempt a comeback in the NHL , and with this in mind had set a very strict contract with Kärpät that allowed no drug abuse and included regular check - ups with the team doctor . On November 6 , 2007 , the Finnish police came to an Oulun Kärpät practice session and took Jere Karalahti away for questioning . He was later transferred to Espoo where he was heard about his further involvement in a drug - ring . The Espoo district court arrested him for suspicion of a gross drug felony . On December 12 , 2007 , he was released from his contract with Kärpät . On January 29 , 2008 , he was charged with smuggling 9 lbs ( 4 . 09 kg ) of amphetamines into Finland . He also allegedly provided euro 20 , 000 ( $ 29 , 000 USD ) for smuggling operations , the prosecutor said . He has denied all charges The drug ring is suspected of smuggling about 20 kilograms of amphetamines and hundreds of grams of cocaine from Estonia to Finland last year . The charges carried a maximum penalty of up to six years in prison . Karalahti was convicted and given a 20 - month suspended sentence . Both Karalahti and the prosecution say they will appeal . On March 20 , 2008 , in Espoo District Court , Jere Karalahti was put on probation for 20 months and also fined 10000 euros . International play . Karalahti has played for the Finnish national ice hockey team in several occasions . International statistics