Finnish ice hockey player
Ice hockey player
Nelli Laitinen (born 29 April 2002) is a Finnish ice hockey player and member of the Finnish national team , currently playing in the college ice hockey with the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program.
Playing career
Laitinen began her college ice hockey career with the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) conference of the NCAA as an incoming freshman for the 2022–23 season .[1] Despite missing eight games due to an upper-body injury that kept her sidelined for two months, she tallied 18 points and ranked third for points of all team defenseman.[2] Her impressive first season was recognized with her selection to the Watch List for the Hockey Commissioners Association National Rookie of the Year and naming to the USCHO All-Rookie and the WCHA All-Rookie teams.[3] [4]
International play
As a junior player with the Finnish national under-18 team , she participated in the IIHF U18 Women's World Championships in 2017 , 2018 , 2019 , and 2020 .[5]
Laitinen made her senior national team debut at the 2018 4 Nations Cup in Saskatoon , Canada, where she contributed one assist in four games to Finland's bronze medal victory.[6] [7] Later that season, she represented Finland at the 2019 IIHF Women's World Championship .[8] At sixteen years old, she was the youngest player on the team and 29 years younger than Finland's eldest player, Riikka Sallinen .[9] She recorded one assist in seven games as Finland won the first World Championship silver medal in team history.[10]
She won bronze medals representing Finland at the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship and in the women's ice hockey tournament at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing .[11]
At the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship , she notched 3 goals and 7 assists in seven games, ranking third on the team points table in a tie with forwards Noora Tulus and Viivi Vainikka , each scoring 10 points. Her totals ranked second of all Finnish defensemen, trailing captain Jenni Hiirikoski by just 1 assist.
Personal life
Laitinen's older brother, Villi (born 1999), is a professional ice hockey defenseman in the Finnish Liiga . When she joined the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the jersey number 9, which she had worn in her career to that point, was already in use and she selected 7 as her new number because her brother had worn it in the past.[12]
At a pre-Olympic press conference in January 2022, she confirmed that she was in a relationship with NHL player Jesperi Kotkaniemi .[13]
Her major at the University of Minnesota is in business and marketing. Swedish national team player Josefin Bouveng was one of her four roommates during her first year at the university.[12] [14]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Naisten SM-sarja was rebranded as Naisten Liiga in 2017. Espoo Blues renamed as Kiekko-Espoo in 2019.
Regular season
Playoffs
Season
Team
League
GP
G
A
Pts
PIM
GP
G
A
Pts
PIM
2016-17
HAKI
N. Mestis
8
4
2
6
0
–
–
–
–
–
2016-17
HAKI
N. Suomi-sarja
2
2
0
2
0
–
–
–
–
–
2016-17
KJT (L )
NSMs
1
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
0
2
2017-18
HAKI U16
U16 Mestis
18
3
8
11
0
–
–
–
–
–
2017-18
Espoo Blues
NSML
11
2
1
3
0
10
1
4
5
2
2017-18
KJT (L )
NSML
3
0
0
0
0
–
–
–
–
–
2018-19
Espoo Blues
NSML
27
12
27
39
6
6
0
5
5
0
2019-20
Kiekko-Espoo
NSML
28
7
24
31
12
6
6
8
14
6
2020-21
Kiekko-Espoo
NSML
24
13
24
37
20
10
1
6
7
6
2021-22
Kiekko-Espoo
NSML
23
7
24
31
16
10
8
13
21
8
2022-23
Minnesota Golden Gophers
NCAA
30
3
15
18
4
–
–
–
–
—
2023-24
Minnesota Golden Gophers
NCAA
39
6
17
23
10
–
–
–
–
—
Naisten Liiga totals
117
41
100
141
54
46
16
36
52
24
NCAA totals
69
9
32
41
14
–
–
–
–
–
Note: Postseason results for the 2016–17 season are from the qualification series (Finnish : Karsintasarja ) rather than the playoffs and are not calculated with playoff totals. Sources: Elite Prospects,[15] Finnish Ice Hockey Association[16]
International
Year
Team
Event
Result
GP
G
A
Pts
PIM
2017
Finland U18
WC18
5th
5
0
1
1
4
2018
Finland U18
WC18
5th
5
0
4
4
0
2019
Finland U18
WC18
6
1
3
4
3
2019
Finland
WC
7
0
1
1
2
2020
Finland U18
WC18
4th
6
3
1
4
2
2021
Finland
WC
7
1
0
1
4
2022
Finland
OG
7
2
5
7
4
2022
Finland
WC
6th
7
1
4
5
6
2023
Finland
WC
5th
7
3
7
10
2
2024
Finland
WC
7
1
3
4
4
Junior totals
22
4
9
13
10
Senior totals
42
8
20
28
22
Sources: Finnish Ice Hockey Association,[16] International Ice Hockey Federation[5] [17]
Honors and achievements
Award
Period
International
World U18 Top-3 Player on Team
2018 , 2019 , 2020
World U18 All-Star Team
2019
World U18 Bronze Medal
2019
World U18 Best Defenseman
2020
World Championship Silver Medal
2019
World Championship Bronze Medal
2021 , 2024
Olympic Bronze Medal
2022
World Championship Top-3 Player on Team
2024 [18]
Minnesota Golden Gophers
USCHO All-Rookie Team
2023[19]
WCHA All-Conference Rookie Team
2023[20]
HCA National Rookie of the Year Watch List
2023[21]
WCHA Defender of the Week
23–29 October 2023[22]
WCHA All-Conference Second Team
2024[23]
Naisten Liiga
All-Star First Team
2019, 2020 , 2021 , 2022
Aurora Borealis Cup Champion
2019, 2021 , 2022
Päivi Halonen Award (Best Defenseman)
2020 , 2021 , 2022
U18 Student Athlete
2020
Player of the Month
October 2020
Karoliina Rantamäki Award (Playoff MVP)
2022
Sources: [24] [25] [26]
See also
References
^ "Gophers Add Laitinen to 2022-23 Signing Class" . University of Minnesota Athletics . 17 January 2022. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2022 .
^ Schoenberg, Eitan (20 January 2023). "UMN women's hockey climbs to top of WCHA" . The Minnesota Daily . Retrieved 16 April 2023 .
^ Aykroyd, Lucas (7 March 2023). "Laitinen's star on the rise" . International Ice Hockey Federation . Retrieved 16 April 2023 .
^ Johnson, Randy (23 February 2023). "Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle of Gophers named first-team All-WCHA" . Star Tribune . Retrieved 16 April 2023 .
^ a b Podnieks, Andrew; Nordmark, Birger, eds. (2019). "Active Skaters, Women". IIHF Guide & Record Book 2020 . Toronto: Moydart. p. 653. ISBN 9780986796470 .
^ Viljanen, Markus (29 October 2018). "Naisleijonat vahvalla joukkueella 4 Nations Cupiin - mukana myös useampi 2000-luvulla syntynyt lupaus" [Naisleijonat has a strong team for the 4 Nations Cup – included several promising [players] born in the 21st century]. Jatkoaika.com (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2022 .
^ "2018 4 Nations Cup – Player Stats – Players (Points)" . Hockey Canada . 10 November 2018. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2022 .
^ "Naisleijonien MM-joukkue yhtä vaille valmis – Kisojen alkuun kymmenen päivää" [Naisleijonat World Championship team is ready – Ten days to the start of the tournament]. leijonat.fi . Finnish Ice Hockey Association . 25 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2022 .
^ Martela, Ille (5 April 2019). "16-vuotias Nelli Laitinen on ottanut paikkansa Naisleijonissa" [16-year-old Nelli Laitinen has taken her place with the Naisleijonat]. Jatkoaika.com (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2022 .
^ "2019 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship – Team Roster: FIN - Finland" (PDF) . stats.iihf.com . International Ice Hockey Federation . 5 April 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020 .
^ "Beijing 2022 – Althetes: Nelli LAITINEN, Ice Hockey" . Olympics.com . Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022 .
^ a b Schoenberg, Eitan (6 February 2023). "9 to 7, Finland to Minnesota: Nelli Laitinen speaks on changes in hockey career" . The Minnesota Daily . Retrieved 16 April 2023 .
^ Palojärvi, Otto (25 January 2022). "Naisleijonien suurlupaus pahoillaan NHL-poikaystävänsä puolesta" . Sportti.com (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2022 .
^ Huttunen, Sasha (6 April 2023). "Nelli Laitinen muutti 20-vuotiaana Yhdysvaltoihin – perillä odotti iso shokki: "Ihan sama, oletko nainen vai mies" " . Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 16 April 2023 .
^ "Player Profile: Nelli Laitinen" . Elite Prospects . Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2023 .
^ a b "Pelaajakortti: Nelli Laitinen" . leijonat.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association . Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2022 .
^ "2023 IIHF Women's World Championship – Player Statistics by Team: FIN - Finland" . International Ice Hockey Federation . 16 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023 .
^ "2024 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship – Best Players of Each Team Selected by Coaches" . International Ice Hockey Federation . 13 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024 .
^ Haase, Nicole (31 March 2023). "Women's Division I College Hockey: 2022-23 All-USCHO Teams" . U.S. College Hockey Online . Retrieved 16 April 2023 .
^ "2022-23 All-WCHA Teams Announced" . Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Press release). 23 February 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023 .
^ "Hockey Commissioners Association Releases National Women's Rookie of the Year 'Watch List' " . Hockey Commissioners Association (Press release). 2 February 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023 .
^ "Sterling Trophy WCHA Players of the Week announced for Oct. 23-29" . Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Press release). 30 October 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023 .
^ Kennedy, Ian (29 February 2024). "USA National Team Stars Highlight WCHA All-Star Teams" . The Hockey News . Retrieved 4 March 2024 .
^ Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto ; Liiga . Aaltonen, Juha (ed.). "Jääkiekkokirja 2019–2020" (PDF) . Jääkiekkokirja (in Finnish). Helsinki: Uusi Suomi/Kiekkolehti: 554. ISSN 0784-3321 . OCLC 476321083 . Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020 .
^ Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto ; Jääkiekkon SM-liiga Oy (2020). Aaltonen, Juha (ed.). "Jääkiekkokirja 2021: Suomen Jääkiekkoliiton ja Liiga Kausijulkaisu 2020–2021" (PDF) . Jääkiekkokirja (in Finnish). Helsinki: Uusi Suomi/Kiekkolehti: 528. ISSN 0784-3321 . Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020 .
^ Mennander, Pasi (15 March 2021). "Naisten Liigan kauden 2020–21 palkitut pelaajat ja tähtikentät" . Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021 .
External links