Veli-Matti Savinainen

Veli-Matti Savinainen (born on January 5, 1986 in Espoo) is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger/center who currently plays for the Jokerit of the KHL.
==Club career==
Savinainen started his junior career with the Blues organisation. He did not play during the 2002-03 season. Since 2003, he played junior hockey with the FoPS organisation. He made his senior debut in the 2005-06 season. It was his last junior season in which he played 1 game with the junior team of the FoPS and 35 games with the FPS of the Mestis.
He stayed with the FPS of the Mestis for the 2006-07 season. After that, he signed with the Ässät of the SM-liiga where he stayed until the end of the 2012-13 season. Besides his 48 games played in the 2007-08 season, he also played 2 games on loan with the KooKoo of the Mestis during this season. In the 2012-13 season, he won the SM-liiga title with the Ässät.
Savinainen continued his career with the Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk of the KHL during the 2013-14 season.
He joined the Leksands IF of the SHL on a one-year contract on August 30, 2014. He played there 24 games, then he moved to play with the Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL where he finished the season with 25 regular season games and 4 play-off games played.
After that, Savinainen played during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons with the Tappara of the Liiga (formerly SM-liiga) winning the title in both seasons. In the 2016-17 season, he also won the Aarne Honkvaara Trophy for the player who scored most goals (30) throughout the season, was also the player who scored most game-winning goals (8) and made it into the Liiga All-Star Team.
After completing his second stint with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk of the KHL in the 2017-18 season, posting 17 points in 50 games, Savinainen left as a free agent but opted to continue in the KHL, in joining the Kunlun Red Star on a one-year contract on May 2, 2018.
Following his lone season with the Kunlun Red Star in the 2018-19 season, Savinainen returned to Finland to continue in the KHL, signing a two-year contract with the Jokerit on May 4, 2019.
==International career==
Savinainen played with the Finnish National Team at the 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019 World Championships. He won the silver medal at the 2014 tournament and the gold medal at the 2019 tournament. At the 2017 tournament, he was one of the top 3 players of Finland at the championship. He also participated at the 2018 Olympics.
==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
2005–06 	FPS 	Mestis 		35 	3 	3 	6 	20 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	FPS 	Mestis 		44 	14 	19 	33 	60 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Ässät 	SM-l 		48 	4 	7 	11 	52 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	KooKoo 	Mestis 		2 	1 	1 	2 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Ässät 	SM-l 		51 	6 	19 	25 	18 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Ässät 	SM-l 		50 	6 	7 	13 	48 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2010–11 	Ässät 	SM-l 		55 	9 	13 	22 	34 		6 	0 	3 	3 	0
2011–12 	Ässät 	SM-l 		60 	17 	14 	31 	67 		4 	1 	1 	2 	2
2012–13 	Ässät 	SM-l 		46 	20 	16 	36 	43 		16 	4 	5 	9 	10
2013–14 	HC Yugra 	KHL 		49 	13 	6 	19 	54 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014–15 	Leksands IF 	SHL 		24 	5 	5 	10 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014–15 	Torpedo Nizhny Novogorod	KHL 		25 	2 	3 	5 	4 		4 	0 	0 	0 	10
2015–16 	Tappara 	Liiga 		44 	7 	15 	22 	18 		18 	2 	2 	4 	28
2016–17 	Tappara 	Liiga 		55 	30 	26 	56 	36 		17 	5 	6 	11 	30
2017–18 	HC Yugra 	KHL 		50 	9 	8 	17 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	Kunlun Red Star 	KHL 		37 	9 	9 	18 	45 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
Liiga totals	Liiga totals 	Liiga totals		409 	99 	117 	216 	316 		61 	12 	17 	29 	70
KHL totals 	KHL totals 	KHL totals 		161 	33 	26 	59 	113 		4 	0 	0 	0 	10
SHL totals 	SHL totals 	SHL totals 		24 	5 	5 	10 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Event 	Result 		GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
2013 	Finland 	WC 	4th 		10	3 	1 	4 	4
2014 	Finland 	WC 	 		7 	0 	0 	0 	2
2017 	Finland 	WC 	4th 		10	3 	4 	7 	4
2018 	Finland 	OG 	6th 		5 	1 	1 	2 	2
2018 	Finland 	WC 	5th 		8 	4 	4 	8 	6
2019 	Finland 	WC 	 		10	0 	5 	5 	0
Senior totals	Senior totals	Senior totals	Senior totals		50	11	15	26 	18
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
*
Category:Born in 1986
Category:Ässät players
Category:Finnish ice hockey players
Category:FoPS players
Category:Leksands IF players
Category:KooKoo players
Category:HC Kunlun Red Star players
Category:Ice hockey players at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Finland
Category:Tappara players
Category:Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod players
Category:HC Yugra players