Sami Helenius

Sami "Helge" Helenius (born January 22, 1974) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman currently in a dual player and coaching role with HC Keski Uusimaa of the Suomi-sarja.
==Playing career==
Helenius was drafted by the Calgary Flames as their fifth-round pick, 102nd overall, in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. He started his professional career in Jokerit in the Finnish SM-liiga in 1992, and made his way to North America for the 1994-95 season, and after spending five years mostly in the minor leagues, Helenius took his place as an NHL defenceman, playing for several teams. Helenius is one of the few Europeans to play in an enforcer role in North-American hockey leagues.
In 2003 he returned to Finland to play in the SM-liiga again. After a year with Jokerit where he served as team captain, Helenius represented both Ilves and Pelicans before returning to Jokerit after the 2006–07 season.
After three seasons with Jokerit and during the 2009–10 season, Helenius rejoined previous club Pelicans on November 13, 2009. After finishing the season out with Pelicans, Helenius agreed to join HC Keski-Uusimaa as a player-coach for the 2010–11 season on August 4, 2010.
==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
1992–93 	Jokerit 	SM-l 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1993–94 	Reipas Lahti 	SM-l 		37 	2 	3 	5 	46 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1994–95 	Saint John Flames 	AHL 		69 	2 	5 	7 	217 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1995–96 	Saint John Flames 	AHL 		68 	0 	3 	3 	231 		10 	0 	0 	0 	9
1996–97 	Saint John Flames 	AHL 		72 	5 	10 	15 	218 		2 	0 	0 	0 	0
1996–97 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		3 	0 	1 	1 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1997–98 	Las Vegas Thunder 	IHL 		10 	0 	1 	1 	19 		4 	0 	0 	0 	25
1997–98 	Saint John Flames 	AHL 		63 	1 	2 	3 	185 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Las Vegas Thunder 	IHL 		42 	2 	3 	5 	193 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		4 	0 	0 	0 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Chicago Wolves 	IHL 		4 	0 	0 	0 	11 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL 		4 	1 	0 	1 	15 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 		8 	0 	0 	0 	29 		5 	0 	0 	0 	16
1999–00 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 		12 	0 	1 	1 	31 		9 	0 	0 	0 	40
1999–00 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		33 	0 	0 	0 	46 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Dallas Stars 	NHL 		57 	1 	2 	3 	99 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0
2001–02 	Dallas Stars 	NHL 		39 	0 	0 	0 	58 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Dallas Stars 	NHL 		5 	0 	0 	0 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Utah Grizzlies 	AHL 		4 	0 	0 	0 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Chicago Blackhawks 	NHL 		10 	0 	1 	1 	28 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Jokerit 	SM-l 		55 	0 	1 	1 	103 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	Ilves 	SM-l 		53 	0 	0 	0 	162 		7 	0 	2 	2 	4
2005–06 	Pelicans 	SM-l 		53 	1 	3 	4 	151 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Pelicans 	SM-l 		53 	1 	0 	1 	126 		6 	0 	0 	0 	2
2007–08 	Jokerit 	SM-l 		49 	1 	6 	7 	198 		13 	0 	0 	0 	29
2008–09 	Jokerit 	SM-l 		45 	0 	0 	0 	76 		2 	0 	0 	0 	2
2009–10 	Jokerit 	SM-l 		14 	0 	0 	0 	20 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Pelicans 	SM-l 		34 	0 	2 	2 	170 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals 	NHL totals 	NHL totals 		155 	2 	4 	6 	260 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0
SM-l totals	SM-l totals 	SM-l totals		394 	5 	15 	20 	1052 		28 	0 	2 	2 	37
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Comp 	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1992 	Finland 	EJC 	6 	0	0	0 	22
1993 	Finland 	WJC 	7 	0	1	1 	6
2003 	Finland 	WC 	2 	0	0	0 	0
Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	13	0	1	1 	28
Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	2 	0	0	0 	0
==References==
==External links==
*
Category:Born in 1974
Category:Calgary Flames draft picks
Category:Calgary Flames players
Category:Chicago Blackhawks players
Category:Chicago Wolves (IHL) players
Category:Colorado Avalanche players
Category:Dallas Stars players
Category:Finnish ice hockey players
Category:Hershey Bears players
Category:Ilves Tampere players
Category:Jokerit Helsinki players
Category:Las Vegas Thunder players
Category:Pelicans Lahti players
Category:Saint John Flames players
Category:Tampa Bay Lightning players
Category:Utah Grizzlies players