Pekka Tirkkonen

Pekka Tirkkonen (born July 17, 1968) is a Finnish ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. He most recently served as head coach of EHC Kloten of the National League (NL). Tirkkonen was selected by the Boston Bruins in the 2nd round (34th overall) of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft.http://bruins.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8458225
== Playing career ==
Tirkkonen played 14 seasons in Finnland's top-tier SM-liiga, registering 161 goals, 236 assists, 397 points, and 241 penalty minutes, in 647 games played for HC TPS, KalPa and SaiPa. He won the championship with TPS in 1989, 1990 and 1991.
Other stops in his playing career included Germany (Starbulls Rosenheim, Augsburger Panther), Sweden (Linköping HC) and Denmark (Herning Blue Fox). He claimed the Danish championship with Herning in 2005, 2007 and 2008, before retiring following the 2007–08 season.
== Coaching career ==
Tirkkonen kicked off his career behind the bench immediately after retiring as a player and was appointed as head coach of Finnish second division side SaPKo prior to the 2008–09 season. After four year at the helm and after receiving Mestis Coach of the Year honors in 2012, he moved on and was named head coach of SaiPa of the country's top-tier Liiga ahead of the 2012-13 campaign. In the 2013–14 season, Tirkkonen won the Kalevi Numminen Trophy as the league's Coach of the Year. He guided SaiPa to the Liiga semifinals that season, where they fell short to eventual champions Kärpät.
Tirkkonen parted ways with SaiPa following the 2015–16 season and was named head coach of EHC Kloten of the National League (NL) on June 24, 2016. He was fired on October 16, 2017, following poor coaching performances.
==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
1984–85 	SaPKo 	FIN.2 		21 	3 	5 	8 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1985–86 	SaPKo 	FIN.2 		40 	14 	13 	27 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1986–87 	SaPKo 	FIN.2 		40 	15 	21 	36 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1987–88 	TPS 	SM-l 		44 	11 	12 	23 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1988–89 	TPS 	SM-l 		42 	11 	15 	26 	8 		10 	1 	2 	3 	0
1989–90 	TPS 	SM-l 		41 	17 	11 	28 	0 		9 	3 	4 	7 	0
1990–91 	TPS 	SM-l 		44 	9 	23 	32 	10 		9 	4 	2 	6 	0
1991–92 	KalPa 	SM-l 		29 	5 	7 	12 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1992–93 	KalPa 	SM-l 		48 	11 	17 	28 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1993–94 	KalPa 	SM-l 		47 	17 	24 	41 	37 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1993–94 	HC Královopolská Brno 	CZE.2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0
1994–95 	KalPa 	SM-l 		47 	19 	12 	31 	30 		3 	1 	0 	1 	2
1995–96 	KalPa 	SM-l 		48 	16 	20 	36 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	Star Bulls Rosenheim GmbH	DEL 		50 	18 	25 	43 	14 		3 	0 	4 	4 	0
1997–98 	Augsburger Panther 	DEL 		41 	4 	7 	11 	6 		6 	1 	1 	2 	0
1998–99 	KalPa 	SM-l 		52 	9 	20 	29 	24 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1999–2000 	SaiPa 	SM-l 		52 	9 	19 	28 	38 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	SaiPa 	SM-l 		45 	6 	14 	20 	18 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	SaiPa 	SM-l 		55 	10 	24 	34 	16 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	SaiPa 	SM-l 		53 	11 	18 	29 	26 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Linköpings HC 	SEL 		43 	3 	16 	19 	12 		5 	1 	0 	1 	6
2004–05 	Herning Blue Fox 	DEN 		35 	16 	19 	35 	12 		16 	5 	11 	16 	8
2005–06 	Herning Blue Fox 	DEN 		36 	19 	14 	33 	18 		15 	5 	17 	22 	8
2006–07 	Herning Blue Fox 	DEN 		36 	12 	30 	42 	20 		15 	6 	4 	10 	32
2007–08 	Herning Blue Fox 	DEN 		31 	9 	12 	21 	16 		16 	4 	8 	12 	4
SM-l totals	SM-l totals 	SM-l totals		647 	161 	236 	397 	241 		31 	9 	8 	17 	2
DEN totals 	DEN totals 	DEN totals 		138 	56 	75 	131 	66 		62 	20 	40 	60 	52
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Event 		GP	G 	A	Pts	PIM
1986 	Finland 	EJC 		5 	4 	3	7 	2
1987 	Finland 	WJC 		7 	6 	3	9 	2
1988 	Finland 	WJC 		7 	4 	2	6 	0
1990 	Finland 	WC 		9 	2 	0	2 	4
1991 	Finland 	WC 		9 	3 	0	3 	—
1991 	Finland 	CC 		6 	0 	1	1 	0
Junior totals	Junior totals	Junior totals		19	14	8	22 	4
Senior totals	Senior totals	Senior totals		24	5 	1	6 	4
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Finnish hockey players
Category:Boston Bruins draft picks
Category:Born in 1968
Category:TPS Turku player
Category:KalPa Kuopio player
Category:Rosenheim Star Bulls players
Category:Augsburger Panthers player
Category:SaiPa Lappeenranta player
Category:Linköpings HC player