| Niko Laakkonen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | June 18, 1988 Varkaus, Finland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 187 lb (85 kg; 13 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Jukurit | ||
| Playing career | 2009–2017 | ||
Niko Laakkonen (born June 15, 1988) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey winger.
Ice hockey is a contact team sport played on ice, usually in a rink, in which two teams of skaters use their sticks to shoot a vulcanized rubber puck into their opponent's net to score points. The sport is known to be fast-paced and physical, with teams usually consisting of six players each: one goaltender, and five players who skate up and down the ice trying to take the puck and score a goal against the opposing team.
Winger, in the game of ice hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink. Nowadays, there are different types of wingers in the game — out-and-out goal scorers, checkers who disrupt the opponents, and forwards who work along the boards and in the corners. They tend to be bigger than centreman and smaller than defenseman.
Laakkonen began his career with KalPa's Jr. teams between 2003 and 2009. Unable to make it to KalPa's main roster, he signed for SaPKo in Mestis. After four seasons, Laakkonen joined Jukurit in 2013. Jukurit were promoted to Liiga for the 2016–17 season to replace Blues who folded due to bankruptcy. Laakkonen played 34 games in Liiga for Jukurit, but failed to score and single goal and managed just three assists. [1] It turned out to be his last professional season.
The Kalevan Pallo (KalPa) is a professional ice hockey team which competes in the Finnish Liiga. They play in Kuopio, Finland at the Data Group Areena.
Savonlinnan Pallokerho (SaPKo) is an ice hockey team from Savonlinna, Finland, playing in the Mestis league. It plays its home matches in Winter Salon rink.
Mestis, is the second-highest ice hockey league in Finland.
