Anssi Salmela

Anssi Salmela	Anssi Salmela
Born 	August 13, 1984 (1984-08-13) (age 26),
Nokia, FIN
Height
Weight	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position 	Defence
Shoots 	Left
Anssi Salmela (born August 13, 1984 in Nokia, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League.
== Playing career==
Undrafted, Salmela's professional career started in the 2003–2004 season with Finnish SM-liiga side Tappara, where he made his debut on January 24, 2004. His place was settled in Tappara for another year, but the next year he was transferred to Pelicans. In 2007 he moved back to Tappara again.
Salmela was a member of the Finnish team that won a bronze medal in the World U20 Championship. He made his debut for the senior national team in the 2008 IIHF World Championships held in Canada in 2008. On May 22, 2008, he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the New Jersey Devils of the NHL.[1]
In the 2008–09 season, Salmela made his NHL and North American debut with New Jersey in the season opener on October 10, 2008, in a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders.[2] However, Salmela spent the majority of his time with the Devils affiliate the Lowell Devils of the American Hockey League (AHL). On March 2, 2009, Salmela was traded by the Devils to the Atlanta Thrashers for Niclas Hävelid.[3] In his second game with the Thrashers Salmela scored his first career NHL goal in a 5-1 win against the Washington Capitals on March 16, 2009.[4]
On February 4, 2010, Salmela was traded back to the New Jersey Devils along with Ilya Kovalchuk for Johnny Oduya, Niclas Bergfors, Patrice Cormier and a 1st round draft pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.[5]
== Awards and achievements==
*2007–08 SM-Liiga Bronze Medal
*2007–08 Juha Rantasila -palkinto (most goals for defender in SM-Liiga)
== Career statistics==
 	 	 		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
2003–04 	Tappara Tampere 	SM-l 		10 	0 	0 	0 	2 		3 	0 	0 	0 	2
2004–05 	Tappara Tampere 	SM-l 		48 	1 	5 	6 	49 		8 	0 	0 	0 	0
2005–06 	Tappara Tampere 	SM-l 		8 	0 	1 	1 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Pelicans 	SM-l 		48 	8 	8 	16 	59 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Pelicans 	SM-l 		56 	11 	12 	23 	58 		6 	1 	1 	2 	4
2007–08 	Tappara Tampere 	SM-l 		56 	16 	16 	32 	40 		11 	0 	6 	6 	14
2008–09 	New Jersey Devils	NHL 		17 	0 	3 	3 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Lowell Devils 	AHL 		38 	8 	16 	24 	41 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Chicago Wolves 	AHL 		2 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Atlanta Thrashers	NHL 		9 	1 	2 	3 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Atlanta Thrashers	NHL 		29 	1 	4 	5 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	New Jersey Devils	NHL 		9 	1 	2 	3 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
SM-l totals	SM-l totals 	SM-l totals		226 	36 	42 	78 	208 		28 	1 	7 	8 	20
NHL totals 	NHL totals 	NHL totals 		64 	3 	11 	14 	30 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
== International play==
Medal record 	Medal record 	Medal record
Competitor for Finland 	Competitor for Finland 	Competitor for Finland
Ice hockey 	Ice hockey 	Ice hockey
World Championships 	World Championships 	World Championships
Bronze 	2008 Quebec City 	Ice hockey
World Junior Championships	World Junior Championships	World Junior Championships
Bronze 	2004 Helsinki 	Ice hockey
Played for Finland in:
*2004 World Junior Championships (Bronze medal)
*2008 World Championships (Bronze medal)
=== International statistics===
Year 	Team 	Comp 	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2004 	Finland 	WJC 	7 	1	2	3 	6
2008 	Finland 	WC 	8 	0	0	0 	37
Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	7 	1	2	3 	6
Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	8 	0	0	0 	37
Category:Atlanta Thrashers players