Ville Pokka

Last updated
Ville Pokka
Ville Pokka.jpg
Pokka in 2015
Born (1994-06-03) 3 June 1994 (age 31)
Tornio, Finland
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 187 lb (85 kg; 13 st 5 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Right
team
Former teams
Free Agent
Oulun Kärpät
Rockford IceHogs
Belleville Senators
Avangard Omsk
Färjestad BK
EHC Biel-Bienne
SC Bern
National teamFlag of Finland.svg  Finland
NHL draft 34th overall, 2012
New York Islanders
Playing career 2010present

Ville Pokka (born 3 June 1994) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenseman, who is currently a free agent.

Contents

Playing career

Pokka played with Kärpät in the SM-Liiga during the 2010–11 season. [1] He was drafted 23rd overall by Avangard Omsk in the 2012 KHL Junior Draft and 34th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

On 28 May 2014, Pokka was signed to a three-year entry-level contract with the Islanders. [2]

Prior to the 2014–15 season, on 4 October 2014, Pokka was traded, along with T. J. Brennan and Anders Nilsson by the Islanders to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Nick Leddy and Kent Simpson. [3] He was then directly assigned to the Blackhawks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. [4]

After three seasons with the organization (all of which were spent with the IceHogs), the Blackhawks re-signed Pokka to a one-year, $650,000 contract extension on 27 June 2017. [5]

In the 2017–18 season, Pokka was reassigned to the IceHogs. On 13 December 2017, Pokka was recalled by the Blackhawks. However, remained a healthy scratch before returning to Rockford on 18 December. After posting 22 points in 46 games, Pokka was traded by the Blackhawks to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Chris DiDomenico on 15 February 2018. [6] Pokka joined the Senators AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators, and continued to provide offense from the blueline with 3 goals and 11 points in 23 games to end the season.

As an impending restricted free agent with the Senators, Pokka opted to leave North America by agreeing to a one-year contract with his Russian KHL draft club, Avangard Omsk, on 8 May 2018. [7]

In March 2022, Pokka left Avangard Omsk during the playoffs due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [8] [9] As a free agent in the off-season, Pokka signed a one-year contract in moving to Sweden with Färjestad BK of the SHL, on 5 June 2022. [10]

In 2023, he signed with EHC Biel-Bienne of the NL before being loaned to SC Bern in December. [11] In January 2024, he terminated his deal with Biel-Bienne and signed with Bern for the rest of the year. [12]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

   Regular season   Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2009–10 Kärpät FIN U18200551050004
2010–11KärpätFIN U183022090778
2010–11Kärpät Jr.A 326152116
2010–11 Kärpät SM-l 20002
2010–11 Kiekko–Laser Mestis 30330
2011–12KärpätJr. A43472
2011–12 KärpätSM-l350331290332
2012–13KärpätJr. A30004
2012–13 KärpätSM-l476612830220
2013–14 KärpätLiiga54621271616291110
2014–15 Rockford IceHogs AHL 68822301680330
2015–16 Rockford IceHogsAHL761035452430110
2016–17 Rockford IceHogsAHL766243035
2017–18 Rockford IceHogsAHL464182220
2017–18 Belleville Senators AHL2338118
2018–19 Avangard Omsk KHL 61710178192136
2019–20 Avangard OmskKHL62112131861120
2020–21 Avangard OmskKHL31491382414510
2021–22 Avangard OmskKHL3938111620112
2022–23 Färjestad BK SHL 494182245
Liiga totals13812304238282141612
KHL totals1931539545051471118
Medal record
Representing Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
Ice hockey
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Beijing
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Finland
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2016 Russia
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2021 Latvia
World Junior Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2014 Malmö

International

YearTeamEventResult GPGAPtsPIM
2011 Finland U17 7th51014
2011 Finland WJC18 5th60002
2011 Finland IH18 4th52352
2012 Finland WJC 4th71344
2012 FinlandWJC184th71564
2013 FinlandWJC7th62462
2014 FinlandWJCGold medal icon.svg71344
2016 Finland WC Silver medal icon.svg100220
2016 Finland WCH 8th30000
2018 FinlandWC5th80000
2021 FinlandWCSilver medal icon.svg100224
2022 Finland OG Gold medal icon.svg61230
2022 FinlandWCGold medal icon.svg80220
Junior totals438182622
Senior totals451894

Awards and honors

AwardYear
Liiga
Matti Keinonen Trophy 2014
Kanada-malja (Oulun Kärpät)2014
AHL
All-Rookie Team 2015
KHL
Gagarin Cup (Avangard Omsk) 2021 [13]

References

  1. "Kärpät team statistics". Eliteprospects.com. 2011-04-15. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  2. "Pokka agrees to entry-level contract". New York Islanders. 2014-05-28. Retrieved 2014-05-28.
  3. "Blackhawks acquire prospects from Islanders for Leddy". Chicago Blackhawks. 2014-10-04. Retrieved 2014-10-04.
  4. "Islanders acquire Nick Leddy in trade with Blackhawks". National Hockey League. 2014-10-04. Retrieved 2014-10-04.
  5. "Blackhawks sign defenseman Ville Pokka to one-year deal". The Athletic. 2017-06-27. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
  6. "Senators acquire defenceman Ville Pokka from Chicago for Chris DiDomenico". National Hockey League . February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  7. "Finnish national defenseman Ville Pokka joins Avangard" (in Russian). Avangard Omsk. 2018-05-08. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  8. "Suomalaiskiekkoilijoiden joukkopako KHL:stä jatkuu – lähde: Pokka ja Kaski jättävät seuransa, myös Tuohimaa pois Venäjältä". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 5 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  9. "Ville Pokka and Oliwer Kaski leave Avangard". Avangard Omsk. 5 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  10. "Double gold medalist signs for Färjestad BK" (in Swedish). Färjestad BK. 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  11. "Pokka und Maurer zum SCB, Honka zu Servette". SC Bern (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  12. "Ville Pokka bleibt bis Saisonende in Bern". SC Bern (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  13. "Avangard is crowned 2021 Gagarin Cup Champions" (in Russian). Kontinental Hockey League. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.