Aki Berg

Aki-Petteri Berg (born July 28, 1977) is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted third overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He played both for the Kings and the Toronto Maple Leafs over eight seasons and has represented Team Finland twice at the Winter Olympics, winning a bronze medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, a silver medal at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey in which Finland lost in the finals to host Canada, and a silver medal at the 2006 Torino Olympics. He is currently the equipment manager for the TPS.
== Draft status and early years ==
Although Berg had developed into a solid regular NHL defenceman, he nonetheless failed to shed his underachiever tag after entering the NHL in 1995–96 from Finland. As a teenager playing for TPS in the Finnish SM-liiga, Berg was thought to be a cannot miss prospect. Thus, while he turned into a nice complementary player at the NHL level, he nonetheless failed to have the impact that was expected of him. Some analysts feel that, had Berg been given time to refine his offensive game in Finland, as well as some minor technical aspects, he would have become an impact NHL defenceman. He was traded from Los Angeles to Toronto on March 13, 2001 for Adam Mair and a 2nd round draft pick (later used to select Mike Cammalleri) as the Leafs wished for an injection of youth into a rapidly aging roster. In April 2006, after the Leafs failed to make the playoffs, Berg signed with TPS and returned to his native Finland.
Aki-Petteri Berg is also known with nickaname: "GOD" and "the King" since 1995.
== Performance as a Leaf ==
After his trade to Toronto (Berg scored three times in 12 games with the Leafs during the regular-season that year), Berg played a quiet, if not entirely unspectacular style. Berg played in 78, 79, and 81 games during his first three full seasons in Toronto.
Berg was a commonly attacked player by Toronto fans. The Toronto Star noted that "he was relentlessly booed as a Maple Leaf" and "reviled Leaf defender in the post- Larry Murphy era""Berg takes elite league by storm." Paul Hunter. Toronto Star. Nov 16, 2006. pg. B.3 On After the Horn, Andy Frost said that "[Berg] is one of the most underrated players on [the Leafs]."
== Present status==
As a result of the NHL lock-out, Berg returned to Europe in order to play in Sweden with Timrå IK. In 47 games, Berg was the team's top all-around defenceman, recording 6 goals and 14 assists for 20 points during the 2004–05 Swedish Elitserien regular-season. He returned to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2005/2006 season.
In 531 career NHL regular-season games with Toronto and Los Angeles Berg has 15 goals and 62 assists for 77 points with a +/- rating of -7 and 318 penalty minutes. In 54 career post-season games he has recorded 1 goal and 7 assists for 8 points with a +2 rating and 47 penalty minutes.
On April 25, 2006, Berg signed with TPS of Finland's 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
1993–94 	TPS 	FNL 	 	6 	0 	3 	3 	4 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1994–95 	TPS 	FNL 	 	5 	0 	0 	0 	4 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1994–95 	Kiekko-67 Turku 	FinD1 	 	20 	3 	9 	12 	34 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1995–96 	Phoenix Roadrunners	IHL 	 	20 	0 	3 	3 	18 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	4
1995–96 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	51 	0 	7 	7 	29 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	Phoenix Roadrunners	IHL 	 	23 	1 	3 	4 	21 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	41 	2 	6 	8 	24 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1997–98 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	72 	0 	8 	8 	61 	 	4 	0 	3 	3 	0
1998–99 	TPS 	FNL 	 	48 	8 	7 	15 	137 	 	9 	1 	1 	2 	45
1999–00 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	70 	3 	13 	16 	45 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	2
2000–01 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	47 	0 	4 	4 	43 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL 	 	12 	3 	0 	3 	2 	 	11 	0 	2 	2 	4
2001–02 	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL 	 	81 	1 	10 	11 	46 	 	20 	0 	1 	1 	37
2002–03 	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL 	 	78 	4 	7 	11 	28 	 	7 	1 	1 	2 	2
2003–04 	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL 	 	79 	2 	7 	9 	40 	 	10 	0 	0 	0 	2
2004–05 	Timra IK 	SEL 	 	47 	6 	14 	20 	46 	 	7 	0 	0 	0 	6
2005–06 	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL 	 	75 	0 	8 	8 	56 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	TPS 	FNL 	 	54 	5 	9 	14 	62 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	0
2007–08 	TPS 	FNL 	 	14 	0 	6 	6 	28 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	TPS 	FNL 	 	43 	4 	9 	13 	57 	 	8 	0 	0 	0 	31
2009–10 	TPS 	FNL 	 	35 	1 	4 	5 	62 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2010–11 	TPS 	FNL 	 	10 	0 	1 	1 	16 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	606 	15 	70 	85 	374 	 	54 	1 	7 	8 	47
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
*
*
*
Category:Born in 1977
Category:Finnish ice hockey players
Category:1998 Olympian
Category:2002 Olympian
Category:2006 Olympian
Category:Los Angeles Kings draft picks
Category:Los Angeles Kings players
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Finland
Category:Phoenix Roadrunners (IHL) players
Category:Timrå IK players
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players
Category:TPS Turku playersCategory:IIHF Player