Sami Salo Sami Salo ( born September 2 , 1974 ) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . He began his professional career with TPS of the SM - liiga before being selected by the Ottawa Senators with their last pick in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft . He joined the Senators in 1998 – 99 and was selected to the NHL All - Rookie Team . In the 2002 off - season , he was traded to the Canucks with whom he has recorded three 30 - point campaigns . Due to the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout , Salo played overseas with Frölunda HC of the Swedish Elite League and helped the club capture the Le Mat Trophy as league champions . Internationally , Salo has competed for Finland , appearing in two World Championships , three Winter Olympics and one World Cup . He won silver medals at the 2001 World Championships and the 2006 Winter Olympics , as well as a bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics . Throughout his career , Salo has become infamous for being injury prone , having suffered over 40 career injuries . He is known as a two - way defenceman with a powerful slapshot . Playing career . TPS and Jokerit . After developing his skills with the junior club of his hometown , Turku , Finland , Salo turned professional with TPS of the SM - Liiga in 1994 – 95 . He appeared in seven games , recording a goal and two assists in his first season in the SM - Liiga . The following campaign , he recorded a Finnish career - high 14 assists and 21 points over 47 games . In the off - season , Salo was selected by the Ottawa Senators with their last selection in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft , 239th overall in the ninth round . He remained in Finland for two more seasons upon being drafted . He improved from seven goals to nine in 1996 – 97 . The following season , he transferred from TPS to Jokerit . In his lone season with the Helsinki - based team , he tallied three goals and eight points over 35 games . Ottawa Senators . Following a four - year career in Finland , Salo signed with the Senators in July 1998 . He was initially assigned to the Detroit Vipers , Ottawa ' s International Hockey League ( IHL ) affiliate , but was recalled on November 18 , 1998 . Twenty - seven games into his rookie campaign , he scored his first NHL goal against Boston Bruins goaltender Byron Dafoe , a game - winner , in a 3 - 1 win on January 21 , 1999 . Completing the 1998 – 99 season with seven goals and 19 points , he was named to the NHL All - Rookie Team . The following season , Salo notched a hat trick in a 6 – 4 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 30 , 1999 . His campaign was shortened , however , to 37 games due to injury and he was limited to 14 points . In 2000 , he missed two games as he suffered from a snakebite . Salo continued to be sidelined in 2000 – 01 with various ailments , including shoulder , foot and knee injuries , as well as the flu . In March 2001 , he was also cross - checked in the face by Rick Tocchet of the Philadelphia Flyers , suffering broken teeth and a mild concussion . He finished his third NHL season with 18 points in 31 games . Before the 2001 – 02 season began , Salo injured his groin in an exhibition game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in September . In addition to missing the first three games of the season , he was later sidelined for a total of 13 more contests due to separate cases of the flu , a broken finger and back spasm s . He recorded 18 points in 66 games . In the proceeding off - season , Salo underwent shoulder surgery . Becoming a free agent , he accepted an $ 880 , 000 qualifying offer from the Senators on July 31 , 2002 . Nearly two months later , he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Peter Schaefer on September 21 . Vancouver Canucks . Salo established himself as a top - four defenceman with the Canucks , ranking fourth among team blueliners in average ice time per game during his first season with Vancouver . He also appeared in a career - high 79 games while recording nine goals and 30 points . The Canucks re - signed him in the off - season to a two - year , $ 3 . 2 million contract . The following campaign , he recorded seven goals and 26 points in 74 games . Due to the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout , Salo went overseas to play for Frölunda HC in the Swedish Elite League . He notched six goals and 14 points in 41 games , helping Frölunda to the league ' s best regular season record . The club went on to capture the Le Mat Trophy as playoff champions , defeating Färjestads BK four games to one in the finals . Salo assisted on the overtime goal by Niklas Andersson in game five to win the championship . Salo completed the playoffs with a goal and seven points in 14 post - season contests . As NHL play was set to resume the following season , Salo signed another two - year contract with the Canucks at $ 1 . 5 million per season . He was limited to 59 games in the subsequent 2005 – 06 season , suffering a shoulder injury with the Finnish national team during the 2006 Winter Olympics , colliding with a teammate during a line change . He recorded 10 goals and 33 points with the Canucks , second among team defencemen in scoring . His 23 assists were also a career - high . In 2006 – 07 , Salo sprained his knee in a game against the Minnesota Wild on November 2 , 2006 . Soon after returning , he sustained nerve damage in his shoulder from a hit against the Edmonton Oilers in December . Towards the end of the season , he suffered a groin injury , sidelining him for five games in March and April . Although he cumulatively missed 15 games , Salo still managed to have a career year , recording personal bests with 14 goals , 23 assists and 37 points . He tied for 10th among league defencemen in goals and ranked first in game - winning goals with six . Late in the season , he avoided his pending unrestricted free agency by re - signing with the Canucks to a four - year , $ 14 million contract extension on March 29 , 2007 . The Canucks entered the 2007 playoffs as the third seed . After eliminating the Dallas Stars in the first round , Vancouver was defeated by the Anaheim Ducks in five games . Salo missed the first two games of the second round due to the flu . He notched an assist over 10 post - season games . With an accumulation of injuries over the years , Salo spent the 2007 off - season recovering from chronic groin , back and shoulder problems . Salo was immediately sidelined once more before the start of the 2007 – 08 season , fracturing his wrist during an intra - squad game in training camp . Shortly after returning , he was hit in the face by a clearing attempt from teammate Alexander Edler during a game against the Nashville Predators on November 2 , 2007 . The impact from the puck broke his nose and he mised 19 games . In 63 games , Salo recorded 25 points , his lowest output since his 2001 – 02 season with the Senators . Despite this , he still led all Canucks defencemen in scoring , as all the team ' s blueliners also suffered injuries over the season . The 2008 – 09 season began with more time off in November due to separate leg and shoulder injuries . After returning , he was hit into the boards by Edmonton Oilers captain Ethan Moreau on December 17 , 2008 , and suffered a broken rib . He missed 15 games before returning on January 20 , 2009 . Limited to 60 games , he managed five goals and 25 points in the regular season . In the ensuing playoffs , Salo scored seven points in seven games , including game - winning goals in both game ones of the first and second rounds against the St . Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks , respectively . Salo injured himself in game two of the second round , tearing his gluteus medius muscle while taking a slapshot in which he scored . He played through the injury the following game before missing the next two matches . Following his return , the Canucks were eliminated in the sixth game by the Blackhawks . Salo had three goals and seven points in seven games . Early in the 2009 – 10 season , Salo suffered a medial collateral ligament ( MCL ) sprain to his right knee during a game against the Dallas Stars on October 11 , 2009 . Sidelined for seven games , he returned by the end of the month . Salo missed additional games during the season to various injuries , ending the campaign with nine goals and 28 points in 68 games . Towards the second half of the season , Salo took on a more defensive role , replacing Willie Mitchell , who was sidelined with a concussion , as the team ' s primary shutdown defenceman . In game five of the second round of the 2010 playoffs , Salo was hit in the groin by a slapshot from Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Duncan Keith . Needing to be helped off the ice , he was taken to hospital with what was falsely believed to be a ruptured testicle . He played through an undisclosed injury the following game , as the Canucks were eliminated by the Blackhawks by a 5 – 1 score . He completed the playoffs with a goal and six points in 12 post - season games . Playing floorball in the off - season , Salo tore his achilles tendon on July 22 , 2010 . After undergoing surgery , he was sidelined for the first four months of the 2010 – 11 season . Before returning to the Canucks lineup , he was sent to the team ' s American Hockey League ( AHL ) affiliate , the Manitoba Moose , for a conditioning assignment . Making his AHL debut on February 4 , 2011 , he scored two goals for the Moose in a 3 – 2 win against the Wilkes - Barre / Scranton Penguins . Salo played two more games for the Moose , going pointless in both , before being called up by the Canucks on February 11 . Salo appeared in 27 games in 2010 – 11 , recording three goals and four assists . During the first and second rounds of the 2011 playoffs , Salo missed four games with a leg injury . The Canucks eliminated the Blackhawks and Nashville Predators in the first two rounds to qualify for the Western Conference Finals against the San Jose Sharks . During Game 4 of the series , Salo set a Canucks playoff record for fastest back - to - back goals , scoring 16 seconds apart on a pair of 5 - on - 3 powerplays . The feat also tied Larry Murphy ' s NHL record for fastest two power play goals in the playoffs since 1957 . Combined with Ryan Kesler ' s goal a minute and thirty - nine seconds previously , the trio of goals were also the fastest scored in Canucks playoff history at a minute and fifty - five seconds . Vancouver went on to win the game 4 – 2 , while winning the series 4 – 1 . Advancing to the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals , the Canucks were defeated in seven games by the Boston Bruins . During the off - season , Salo re - signed with the Canucks to a one - year , $ 2 million deal on July 1 , 2011 , prior to becoming an unrestricted free agent . International play . Salo made his international debut with the Finnish national team at the 2001 World Championships in Germany . He recorded an international career - high nine points in nine games , second among tournament defencemen to Finnish teammate Petteri Nummelin . Finland advanced to the gold medal game , where they lost 3 – 2 to the Czech Republic , earning silver . On December 13 , 2001 , Salo was selected to the Finnish national team for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City , along with Senators teammate Jani Hurme . He appeared in four games without registering a point as Finland was defeated by the gold - medal winning Canadians in the quarterfinal by a 2 – 1 score . In Salo ' s next World Championships appearance in 2004 , he recorded three assists in seven games . Finland failed to medal , losing their quarterfinal to Canada . Salo assisted on the go - ahead goal in the third period before Canada tied up the score and won 5 – 4 in overtime . Several months later , at the 2004 World Cup , Salo helped Finland to the final , notching three assists in seven games . For his third straight national team appearance , however , Finland was eliminated by Canada , losing the championship game 3 – 2 . He made his second Olympics appearance at the 2006 Games in Turin . He recorded four points in six games before suffering a tournament - ending shoulder injury in a collision with teammate Ville Peltonen during a line change in front of the team bench . The injury kept him from playing in the semifinal and gold medal game , where Finland won the silver medal in a 3 – 2 loss to Sweden . Despite missing two games , Salo ranked second among team defencemen , behind Kimmo Timonen , with a goal and four points in six games . Four years later , Salo competed once again for Finland at the 2010 Winter Olympics in his NHL hometown Vancouver . He recorded two points in six games , while leading all Finnish players in ice time . He scored his lone goal during the bronze medal game , opening the score against Slovakia in a 5 – 3 win . Playing style . Salo is known as a two - way defenceman , capable of being matched up against opposing team ' s top players , while also contributing offensively . His offensive game is characterized by his powerful slapshot . He has won numerous hardest shot titles with the Canucks in the team ' s SuperSkills competitions , clocking one shot at 101 . 6 miles - per - hour ( 163 . 5 kph ) in 2006 . As a result , he is used frequently on the powerplay , being set up by teammates for shots from the point . A well - rounded defenceman , Salo also earns time on the penalty kill . Personal life . Salo has a wife , Johanna , and three children . From youngest to oldest , they are Peppi , Oliver and Julia . Salo has spent time coaching Oliver , his only son , on his hockey team .