Anna Vanhatalo

Last updated

Anna Vanhatalo
Personal information
Born (1984-02-29) 29 February 1984 (age 40)
Helsinki, Finland
Years active2002–c.2013
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight65 kg (143 lb)
Ice hockey career
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for ZSC Lions
SKIF Nizhny Novgorod
Espoo Blues
National teamFlag of Finland.svg  Finland
Playing career 2009c.2013
Sport
CountryFinland
Sport Ringette
PositionGoaltender
CatchesLeft
Team
Medal record
Women's ice hockey
Olympic Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2010 Vancouver Ice hockey
IIHF Women's World Championship
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2011 Switzerland
Universiade
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2011 Erzurum Ice hockey
Ringette
World Ringette Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2004 Stockholm
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2007 Ottawa

Anna Vanhatalo (born 29 February 1984) is a Finnish retired ice hockey and ringette player and former member of the Finnish national ice hockey team and the Finnish national ringette team. Representing Finland, she won a bronze medal in the women's ice hockey tournament at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In 2004 and 2007, she won gold in the World Ringette Championships.

Contents

Ringette career

Vanhatalo made her goaltending debut in the premier Finnish ringette league, the Ringeten SM-sarja  [ fi ], at age 18 in 2002. She was a member of the Finnish national ringette team in 2004 and 2007. Vanhatalo won two World Ringette Championships gold medals, one in the 2004 World Ringette Championships held in Stockholm, where she was elected the best goaltender of the tournament, and the other gold medal in the 2007 World Ringette Championships held in Ottawa. [1] [2]

In 2006, Vanhatalo went to Canada to play one season for the Montreal Mission in the National Ringette League. [3] In exchange, her Finnish team, Helsinki Ringette, received Montreal Mission goalkeeper Claudia Jetté. [4] [5]

Ice hockey career

Vanhatalo began playing ice hockey at age 25 in 2009, joining the powerhouse Espoo Blues Naiset in Finland’s top league, the Naisten SM-sarja, as their starting goaltender. [6] Her first ice hockey season was a resounding success, she recorded a magnificent .952 save percentage across ten games played in the regular season and backstopped the team to silver medals in the Finnish Championship and the 2010 European Women's Champions Cup. Her performance earned the Tuula Puputti Award in 2010, recognizing her as the Naisten SM-sarja Goaltender of the Year.

The following season, Vanhatalo signed alongside Finnish national team teammate Karoliina Rantamäki as the only expatriates with SKIF Nizhny Novgorod in the Russian Women's Hockey League. [7] Undaunted by the international relocation, Vanhatalo played as the backup to starter Valentina Ostrovlyanchik and maintained her stellar-caliber statistics, ending the season with a .949 save percentage and a solid 1.36 goals against average (GAA) in eight games played.

Unable to continue playing with SKIF due to restrictions placed by the RWHL on the number of import players per team, she opted to play the 2011–12 season in the Swiss Women's Hockey League A (SWHL A) with the ZSC Lions Frauen based in Zürich. Though she split the goal with Canadian-Swiss goaltender Vanessa Clavadetscher during the SWHL A season, she was the starting netminder for the EWHL Super Cup in 2012 and the 2012 European Women's Champions Cup, backstopping the team to silver medal finishes in both tournaments.

Vanhatalo did not play ice hockey in the 2012–13 regular season but she returned to the starting role with the ZSC Lions for the EWHL Super Cup in 2013, contributing a magnificent .970 save percentage and 0.79 GAA to the team’s first Super Cup victory. She was also the team’s starter for the 2013 European Women's Champions Cup, at which the Lions placed fourth.

International play

Vanhatalo was selected to the Finnish Olympic team in her first season playing ice hockey. She won a bronze medal in the women’s ice hockey tournament at the 2010 Winter Olympics while serving as third goaltender behind starter Noora Räty and backup Mira Kuisma. [8] Representing Finland she also won bronze medals at the 2010 4 Nations Cup and the 2011 IIHF Women's World Championship, and a silver medal in the women's ice hockey tournament at the 2011 Winter Universiade. [9]

Personal life

During her stay in Quebec in 2006, she learned the French language. She is multi-lingual and speaks Finnish, Swedish, German, English and French.

In 2009, she obtained her MBA in marketing from the Helsinki School of Economics. Her thesis examined the motivations of companies when sponsoring women’s sports, using ringette as a case study. [10]

Honors and achievements

Ice hockey

Club competition

International competition

Ringette

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiekko-Espoo Naiset</span> Naisten Liiga ice hockey club in Espoo, Finland

Kiekko-Espoo Naiset are an ice hockey team in the Naisten Liiga. They play in the Tapiola district of Espoo, Finland at the harjoitusareena of the Tapiolan urheilupuisto. The team was founded as Espoon Kiekkoseura or EKS in 1989 and has also been known as Espoo Blues Naiset and Espoo United Naiset during its tenure in the Naisten Liiga. Kiekko-Espoo have won the Aurora Borealis Cup as the Finnish Champions in women's ice hockey sixteen times, six more wins than any other team in league history; at least one Finnish Championship medal was won under each of the four names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juhani Wahlsten</span> Finnish ice hockey player and coach (1938–2019)

Juhani Jorma Kalervo Wahlsten was a Finnish professional ice hockey player and ice hockey coach who worked as an exercise and gymnastics teacher in Finland. He was also known by the nickname "Juuso". He also established and helped guide the early development of ringette in Finland, the first European country to do so.

Sanna Kristiina Lankosaari is a Finnish ice hockey coach and retired player. She most recently served as head coach of Oulun Kärpät Naiset in the Naisten Liiga (NSML) during the 2022–23 season and part of the 2023–24 season.

Hanna-Riikka Sallinen is a Finnish retired ice hockey, bandy, rinkball, and pesäpallo player. She is one of the most highly decorated players to have ever competed in international ice hockey.

Tiia-Riitta Johanna Reima is a Finnish retired ice hockey player and coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noora Räty</span> Finnish ice hockey goaltender and coach

Noora Helena Räty is a Finnish ice hockey goaltender and the goaltending coach of Shenzhen KRS in the Chinese Women's Ice Hockey League. She was a founding board member of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) and was a member of the board affiliated with the Minnesota chapter of the organization until signing a Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) contract with the Metropolitan Riveters in May 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minttu Tuominen</span> Finnish ice hockey player

Minnamari "Minttu" Tuominen is a Finnish ice hockey player, currently playing in the Naisten Liiga (NSML) with Kiekko-Espoo. A member of the Finnish national ice hockey team since 2008, she has earned medals at three Winter Olympic Games and five IIHF World Women's Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosa Lindstedt</span> Finnish ice hockey player and coach

Rosa Lindstedt is a Finnish ice hockey coach and retired ice hockey defenseman, currently serving as assistant coach to Brynäs IF Dam in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL). As player with the Finnish national ice hockey team, she was a three-time Olympian, two-time Olympic bronze medalist, and four-time IIHF Women's World Championship medalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenni Hiirikoski</span> Finnish ice hockey player (born 1987)

Jenni Hiirikoski is a Finnish ice hockey player and captain of the Finnish national team and Luleå HF/MSSK in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL).

Terhi Eveliina Mertanen is a Finnish retired ice hockey defenceman and current head coach of TPS Naiset in the Naisten Liiga. She was a member of the Finnish national ice hockey team for thirteen seasons and won bronze medals in the women's ice hockey tournament at the 2010 Winter Olympics and at the IIHF Women's World Championships in 2004 and 2011.

The national program for women's ice hockey in Finland had 5,858 active players in 2019. The Finnish Ice Hockey Association organizes both the national women's program and the three levels of domestic women's leagues in Finland.

Michaela Matejová is a Slovak retired ice hockey defenseman and former member of the Slovak national ice hockey team.

Mira Jalosuo is a Finnish ice hockey player and coach, currently serving as an assistant coach to PWHL Minnesota of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). As a member of the Finnish national team, she won a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games and five bronze medals at the IIHF World Women's Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Kilponen</span> Finnish ice hockey player

Anna Kilponen is a Finnish ice hockey defenceman, currently playing in the Naisten Liiga (NSML) with the Ilves Tampere. She played four seasons of college ice hockey in the NCAA Division I, two seasons with the North Dakota Fighting Hawks and two seasons with the Quinnipiac Bobcats. Following her college career, she has played in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) with Linköping HC, in the Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL) with the KRS Vanke Rays, in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) with the Metropolitan Riveters, and in the Swiss Women's League with the ZSC Lions Frauen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susanna Tapani</span> Finnish ice hockey and ringette player

Susanna "Suski" Tapani is a Finnish multi-sport elite athlete who competes in ice hockey, ringette, and in-line hockey, currently playing in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) with PWHL Boston. She is captain of the Finnish national ringette team and a member of the Finnish national ice hockey team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meeri Räisänen</span> Finnish ice hockey goaltender

Meeri Räisänen is a Finnish ice hockey goaltender and member of the Finnish national team, currently playing with Gladiators HT in the II-divisioona (2-div.), the fourth-tier men's national league in Finland. With the Finnish national team, she has won two Olympic bronze medals, two World Championship bronze medals, and has twice been named to the World Championship All-Star Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anni Keisala</span> Finnish ice hockey goaltender

Anni Keisala is a Finnish ice hockey goaltender and member of the Finnish national team, currently playing in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) with HV71 for the 2023–24 season.

Essi Sieversnée Hallvar is a Finnish retired ice hockey defenceman. She played 91 international matches with the Finnish national team and won bronze at the 2011 IIHF Women's World Championship. Sievers competed at the elite club level for 15 seasons; she played 14 seasons in the Finnish Naisten SM-sarja and one season in the German Women's Ice Hockey Bundesliga (DFEL).

Päivi Virta is a Finnish retired ice hockey defenseman and one of the most highly decorated women in the history of Finnish ice hockey. As a member of the Finnish national team she won five World Championship bronze medals and five European Championship medals, four gold and one bronze.

Jenna Suokko is a Finnish ice hockey player, currently playing with the Buffalo Beauts of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF).

References

  1. "World Ringette Championship 2004 – Gold Medal Game – Finland vs Canada" (PDF). Ringette.cc. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  2. "Meilleures gardiennes de but – 2007 World Championships - Moyenne de buts contre" (in French). Ringette Canada. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  3. "35 Anna Vanhatalo (G) – Montreal Mission". National Ringette League . Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  4. "SM-joukkueen kokoonpano kaudella 2006-2007". Helsinki Ringette (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 4 May 2007. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  5. Jetté, Claudia (23 December 2006). "hyvää päivää !". J'aime la ringuette (in French). Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  6. "Naisleijonien maalivahti aloitti jääkiekon syksyllä". MTV3 (in Finnish). 13 January 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  7. "Cостав команды "СКИФ": Анна Ванхатало - #30". HC SKIF (in Russian). 27 September 2010. Archived from the original on 13 January 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  8. "Ice Hockey, women". Finnish Olympic Committee . 2010. Archived from the original on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  9. "Anna Vanhatalo profile - Анна Ванhатало Профиль". Eurohockey.com. 29 February 1984. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  10. Vanhatalo, Anna (16 October 2008). "Naisurheilun sponsoroinnin motiivit -Tapaustutkimuksena ringett" (PDF). Aalto University (Thesis) (in Finnish). Retrieved 19 March 2022.