Antti Laaksonen

Antti Akseli Laaksonen (born October 3, 1973 in Tammela) is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey left winger who last played for the Lukko of the SM-Liiga. Antti had a seven-year NHL career, mostly as a third line wing and penalty killer for the Boston Bruins, Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche.
==Playing career==
Laaksonen left Finland for North America in 1993 as a junior pro from the SM-Liiga. He enrolled at the University of Denver where he played four seasons for the Pioneers. Laaksonen was selected 191st overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. In 1997–98, Laaksonen made his professional debut in North America, playing with both the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL and the Bruins affiliate, the Providence Bruins.
Laaksonen made his NHL debut with the Bruins at the start of the 1998–99 season, playing in 11 games before he was sent down to Providence where he helped the Bruins capture the Calder Cup. Unable to become a regular with the Bruins by the end of the 1999–00 season Laaskonen left the Bruins as a free agent. 
On July 14, 2000, Antti signed with the Minnesota Wild for their inaugral season. Antti became a fixture in the Wild offense resulting in four seasons with the Wild.
On July 2, 2004, Laaksonen was signed as a free agent by the Colorado Avalanche to a two-year contract. With the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Laaksonen played his first game with the Avalanche in their season opener for the 2005–06 season. Laaksonen established career highs with the Avalanche scoring 16 goals and 34 points. On June 28, 2006, the Avalanche exercised their option for the 2006–07 season. During the season however, a poor run of form led Laaksonen to be demoted to affiliate, the Albany River Rats of the AHL.
At seasons end, Laaksonen left North America and signed with Swiss team HC Fribourg-Gottéron of the NLA on June 18, 2007. After only one season with Gottéron he returned to his native Finland and signed with Lukko of the SM-Liiga. 
==Awards and achievements==
*1995–96 WCHA Second All-Star Team
*1998–99 AHL Calder Cup (Providence Bruins)
==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
1992–93 	HPK 	SM-l 		2 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1993–94 	University of Denver	WCHA 		36 	12 	9 	21 	38 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1994–95 	University of Denver	WCHA 		40 	17 	18 	35 	42 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1995–96 	University of Denver	WCHA 		38 	25 	28 	53 	71 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	University of Denver	WCHA 		39 	21 	17 	38 	63 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1997–98 	Charlotte Checkers 	ECHL 		15 	4 	3 	7 	12 		6 	0 	3 	3 	0
1997–98 	Providence Bruins 	AHL 		38 	3 	2 	5 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 		11 	1 	2 	3 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Providence Bruins 	AHL 		66 	25 	33 	58 	52 		19 	7 	2 	9 	28
1999–00 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 		27 	6 	3 	9 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1999–00 	Providence Bruins 	AHL 		40 	10 	12 	22 	57 		14 	5 	4 	9 	4
2000–01 	Minnesota Wild 	NHL 		82 	12 	16 	28 	24 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Minnesota Wild 	NHL 		82 	16 	17 	33 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Minnesota Wild 	NHL 		82 	15 	16 	31 	26 		16 	1 	3 	4 	4
2003–04 	Minnesota Wild 	NHL 		77 	12 	14 	26 	20 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		81 	16 	18 	34 	40 		9 	0 	2 	2 	2
2006–07 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		41 	3 	1 	4 	16 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Albany River Rats 	AHL 		24 	9 	7 	16 	4 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0
2007–08 	HC Fribourg-Gottéron	NLA 		46 	12 	13 	25 	44 		6 	1 	0 	1 	14
2008–09 	Lukko 	SM-l 		51 	17 	23 	40 	66 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		483 	81 	87 	168 	152 		25 	1 	5 	6 	6
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==International play==
Played for Finland in:
*1993 World Junior Championships 
*2001 World Championships (Silver medal)
*2004 World Championships
*2004 World Cup (Silver Medal)
*2006 Winter Olympics (Silver medal) 
===International statistics===
Year 	Team 	Comp 	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1993 	Finland 	WJC 	7 	2	0	2 	2
2001 	Finland 	WC 	9 	2	4	6 	8
2004 	Finland 	WC 	7 	1	2	3 	2
2004 	Finland 	WCH 	1 	0	0	0 	0
2006 	Finland 	OG 	8 	0	0	0 	6
Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	7 	2	0	2 	2
Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	25	3	6	9 	16
==External links==
* 
* Antti Laaksonen on nhlfinns.com
Category:Born in 1973
Category:Albany River Rats player
Category:Boston Bruins draft picks
Category:Boston Bruins players
Category:Calder Cup champions
Category:Colorado Avalanche players
Category:Denver Pioneers players
Category:Finnish hockey players
Category:HC Fribourg-Gottéron player
Category:HPK Hameenlina player
Category:2006 Olympian
Category:Minnesota Wild players
Category:Providence Bruins player