Mikko Niemi Mikko Niemi ( born June 17 , 1972 in Tampere , Finland ) is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey player . Niemi began his career at junior level icing for his local team Ilves Tampere at junior A SM - liiga standard , the highest level of junior ice hockey . In his first season , 1989 / 90 he featured in 34 games , and helped out the offence with six points . This pushed Ilves into the post - season , where Niemi played on three occasions and also managing his first post - season point . Niemi was a cornerstone of the junior team , playing more than 60 times throughout the 1990 / 91 and 1991 / 92 seasons , again making the post - season in 1992 where he scored his first playoff goal . Niemi ' s chance at senior level came the following season , 1992 / 93 . He alternated between the junior A standard and full SM - liiga level and played 8 times for the full Ilves team , a significant achievement for a twenty - year - old defenceman . Part way through the 1992 / 93 season however , Niemi made a temporary move to FPS who played at the lower Mestis standard in Niemi ' s homeland . The defenceman coped well with the change and scored 5 points in 23 games at senior level as well as 3 points in 7 junior contests . For the start of the 1993 / 94 season , Niemi was an Ilves player and played on five occasions in the SM - liiga . He was sent out to lower division teams again however in order to develop him as a player , this time icing for Hermes Kokkola and KooVee , another team from the city of Tampere . Niemi found himself as a regular player for both teams . His showings at the lower level again persuaded Ilves to recall Niemi to their first team squad for the 1994 / 95 season . He found only limited opportunities however , playing just five SM - liiga games and making six Liigakarsinta appearances . It was his last season as an Ilves player , as Niemi chose to move to Sweden and Örebro IK . Again he failed to establish himself as a key player , and made just eleven appearances before a mid - season switch to play for the Durham Wasps of the BHL . Niemi played 15 times for the Wasps before the end of the season . Despite a reasonably successful spell in the United Kingdom , Niemi moved to Germany and EV Landsberg . This sparked Niemi ' s point scoring ability , and in 53 games he scored 41 points , a remarkable total for a defenceman . Niemi remained in Germany for the following season ( 1997 – 98 ) , although moved to play for the EV Duisburg organisation . Here he was rather less successful , playing just 16 times and managing just one assist . Niemi failed to gain a contract for fully professional hockey the next year , and returned for the 1999 / 2000 season as a Herlev Hornets player . The Hornets ice in the highest level of Danish hockey , the Oddset Ligaen . Niemi combined his defensive duties with his offensive talent well for Herlev , scoring 22 points in 42 league games . This success saw Niemi signed by Rungsted IK , again of the Oddset Ligaen for the 2000 / 01 term . Niemi stayed just one season though before moving back to Herlev , where he again tasted success and helped the team into the post season . Niemi returned to the United Kingdom for the 2003 / 04 season , and played in the newly formed EIHL for the London Racers in their debut season as an organisation . Niemi played 19 games for the Racers before moving mid - season to another team playing their first season , the Manchester Phoenix . The Phoenix organisation struggled financially however , and at the end of the season had to temporarily terminate playing operations . This prompted Niemi to return to his native Finland and sign for HC Montreal of the Suomi - sarja , the third tier of Finnish ice hockey . Niemi played on ten occasions for Montreal , scoring one point . He remained in the Sarja for his final professional season , icing for LeKi Lempäälä on nine occasions before announcing his retirement from the game .