Ville Nieminen

Ville Nieminen (born April 6, 1977 in Tampere, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward currently playing for Tappara of the Finnish SM-liiga.
==Playing career==
Nieminen started his professional hockey career with Tappara in the Finnish SM-liiga, in the 1994–95 season. He was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche as their third-round pick, #78 overall, in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. Nieminen spent three seasons in the AHL with the Hershey Bears, and moved to the NHL and won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2001.
Known for his non-stop motor and aggressive in-your-face style of play, Nieminen is an annoying opponent in the rink, whose style is heavily reminiscent of Esa Tikkanen. Nieminen has a relaxed personality outside the rink and his odd sense of humour is his trademark. 
Nieminen has played for several teams in the NHL, and spent the 2004–05 lockout season playing for his home team, Tappara. He signed with the New York Rangers for the 2005–06 NHL season, and was traded to San Jose on March 8, 2006.
He represented Finland in international play at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, and when he was unable to compete at the 2005 IIHF World Championships, he provided commentary on Finnish television with fellow NHL player Tuomo Ruutu. Ville is a popular colour commentator due to his sense of humour and knowledge of the game.
On February 27, 2007, he was traded to the St. Louis Blues. His contract expired in July, and he signed a two-year contract with the Malmö Redhawks, then of the Swedish Allsvenskan. 
==Awards==
*2000–01 NHL Stanley Cup (Colorado Avalanche)
==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
1994–95 	Tappara 	SM-l 		16 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1995–96 	Tappara 	SM-l 		4 	0 	1 	1 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	Tappara 	SM-l 		49 	10 	13 	23 	120 		3 	1 	0 	1 	8
1997–98 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 		74 	14 	22 	36 	85 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 		67 	24 	19 	43 	127 		3 	0 	1 	1 	0
1999–00 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 		74 	21 	30 	51 	54 		9 	2 	4 	6 	6
1999–00 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 		28 	10 	11 	21 	48 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		50 	14 	8 	22 	38 		23 	4 	6 	10 	20
2001–02 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		53 	10 	14 	24 	30 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL 		13 	1 	2 	3 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL 		75 	9 	12 	21 	93 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Chicago Blackhawks 	NHL 		60 	2 	11 	13 	40 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		19 	3 	5 	8 	18 		24 	4 	4 	8 	55
2004–05 	Tappara 	SM-l 		26 	14 	13 	27 	32 		8 	2 	4 	6 	12
2005–06 	New York Rangers 	NHL 		48 	5 	12 	17 	53 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	San Jose Sharks 	NHL 		22 	3 	4 	7 	10 		11 	0 	2 	2 	24
2006–07 	San Jose Sharks 	NHL 		30 	1 	1 	2 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		14 	0 	0 	0 	29 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Malmö Redhawks 	Swe-1 		34 	9 	15 	24 	124 		3 	1 	3 	4 	6
2008–09 	Tappara 	SM-l 		55 	21 	20 	41 	82 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		385 	48 	69 	117 	333 		58 	8 	12 	20 	99
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==International play==
Played for Finland in:
*1997 World Junior Championships 
*2002 Winter Olympics
*2004 World Cup of Hockey (Silver medal)
*2006 Winter Olympics (Silver medal) 
===International statistics===
Year 	Team 	Comp 	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1997 	Finland 	WJC 	6 	2	5	7 	2
2002 	Finland 	OG 	4 	0	1	1 	2
2004 	Finland 	WCH 	2 	0	0	0 	0
2006 	Finland 	OG 	8 	0	1	1 	4
Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	6 	2	5	7 	2
Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	14	0	2	2 	6
== External links ==
*
*Ville Nieminen on nhlfinns.com
Category:Born in 1977
Category:Calgary Flames players
Category:Chicago Blackhawks players
Category:Colorado Avalanche draft picks
Category:Colorado Avalanche players
Category:Finnish hockey players
Category:Hershey Bears player
Category:2002 Olympian
Category:2006 Olympian
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Finland
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players
Category:St. Louis Blues players
Category:San Jose Sharks players
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Tappara Tampere player
Category:Malmö IF Redhawks player
Category:1999 debut