Jyri Niemi (born June 15, 1990) is a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the l ...

. Niemi was selected by the

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...

in the 3rd round (72nd overall) of the

2008 NHL Entry Draft The 2008 NHL entry draft was the 46th entry draft for the National Hockey League. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario, on June 20–21, 2008. The Senators were originally awarded the 2005 NHL entry draft ...

Playing career

Niemi played three seasons in major junior, with the

Saskatoon Blades The Saskatoon Blades are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1964, the Blades were a charter team of the then-Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1966, and are the only club that has played ev ...

of the

Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hocke ...

. Unable to agree to terms with the Islanders on May 5, 2010, Niemi's rights were traded by the Islanders to neighboring rivals, the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...

in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. He was immediately signed to a three-year entry-level contract to begin his professional career. On May 17, 2013, HPK of the Finnish Liiga announced they had signed Niemi to play for the 2013–14 season.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

References

External links

* 1990 births Living people Connecticut Whale (AHL) players Finnish ice hockey defencemen Greenville Road Warriors players People from Hämeenkyrö Hartford Wolf Pack players HPK players Ilves players KooKoo players New York Islanders draft picks Saskatoon Blades players Ice hockey people from Pirkanmaa Vaasan Sport players 21st-century Finnish sportsmen {{Finland-icehockey-defenceman-stub