Raimo Helminen

Style

Helminen played a part of offensive center during the major part of its career. He is especially recognized for his skills as leader of play, his calm and his very precise master keys. Its talent led the observers to notice that it made its wingers better; thus one often flanked it at the time of the matches of the Équipe of Finland of hockey of young players, which enables them to acquire experiment and to obtain success, while developing their own talent. General-purpose player, it also excels in defensive, leaving all the leisure to his young wingers to undertake the offensive responsibilities.

Professional path

Helminen says itself to have developed the majority of its aptitudes in its youth, spending all its spare times to play on external skating rinks. He also played Football before devoting himself to hockey.

Raimo began its career for its local club, Ilves Tampere, one of the oldest clubs of Finland. After two gold medals in the leagues junior, Helminen was promoted within the senior team in 1982, where it could take part in his first matches in the Sm-liiga. Two years later, it gained the money medal with Finland with the Championnat of the world junior of hockey 1984 in Sweden. It establishes the record of the greatest number of points in a tournament of less than 20 years and was named within the team of stars of the tournament. Such successes largely interested the North-American dépisteurs of the National league of hockey, who more and more sought young talents in Europe.

The following season, Helminen was essential on Tampere, becoming the second best meter of Ilves and the third on the whole of the league. It led its club to the championship of Finland.

The Rangers of New York made of it their second choice of the Repêchage of entry in the LNH 1984 (thirty-fifth choice on the whole). Helminen thus took the way of America and joined the prestigious LNH the following season, drawing some extremely well, with 40 points in 66 matches. The following season however, the new administration of Rangers separates majority of the young talents of the team; Helminen was found thus at the North Stars of Minnesota. There was much evil, and had to be resigned to spend most clearly the season in the American Ligue of hockey. With the autumn 1987, it was of return in its fatherland and covered again the uniform of Ilves Tampere. It there played height of its talent and secured a place within the Finnish delegation with the Winter Olympics of 1988 with Calgary, with the Canada. It helped the Finnish formation to gain its very first Olympic medal in hockey, a money medal. It obtained an excellent total of 10 points in 7 matches and obtained two master keys at the time of the surprised victory 3-0 against the team of Canada, had a presentiment of to gain gold. The dépisteurs of the LNH wondered why Helminen did not play in the LNH, and the Islanders of New York gave him a new chance to be put forward in the New-World.

Evils of back and Sweden

In spring 1988, Helminen started to complain about evils of backs which affected its career for the two seasons to come. Although it offered a spectacular performance at the Indians de Springfield of the American League during its one month stay, it was disappointing at Islanders; it left the team to join Malmö IF of the Elitserien in Sweden.

Its play over there was per moments excellent, which was worth to him the admiration and the respect of the partisans of the MIF; however, its back does not cure completely before the summer of 1992, after Helminen and the MIF had gained the championship of Sweden. He became the very first foreigner to gain the championship of the markers of Elitserien in 1993, and was crowned champion of the league one second time with Malmö.

End of a career

In 1996, Raimo Helminen returned in its birthplace D-to endorse the uniform of Ilves Tampere, becoming again very quickly one of the favorites of crowd. Two years later, it led Ilves to a money medal of Sm-liiga, being seen granted the title of better player of the league. It was three years of continuation named within the team of stars of the league and remained one of the best markers about it. He was also captain of Ilves until in 1999.

International career

After havehaving before had difficulties of taking a lead in the international scene, Finland became a power of international hockey in the years 1990, gaining the money with the Championnat of the world of hockey 1994, gold the following year, just as two Olympiques bronze medals, in 1994 and 1998. Helminen was always one of the logical choices of the leaders of the Leijonat during all the decade, playing a great part in successes of its team. It took part in a total of eleven Championnats of the world between 1985 and 2002; it took part also six times in the Olympic Games (1984, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998 and 2002), which constitutes the world records for a hockeyor. It holds today the world records of the number of matches played on the international scene, with 330. During these matches, it accumulated 52 goals and 154 master keys.

Its number was always the 14; it however changed it for the 41 when Ilves Tampere withdrew the number 14 which formerly belonged to Lasse Oksanen. Helminen preserved nevertheless the number 14 with the national team.

Statistical

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