Valtteri Filppula (born 20 March 1984) is a Finnish 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 ...

forward. Filppula won the

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...

with the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

. He has previously played with the Red Wings,

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

, and

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 ...

. He led Finland to a gold medal at the

2022 Winter Olympics The 2022 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), were an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beijing, China, and surrounding areas wit ...

and the 2022 IIHF World Championship, which made him the first Finnish member of the

Triple Gold Club The Triple Gold Club is the group of ice hockey players and coaches who have won an Ice hockey at the Olympic Games, Olympic Games gold medal, a Ice Hockey World Championships, World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup, the championship t ...

Playing career

Detroit Red Wings (2005–2013)

Filppula was drafted by the

in the third round, 95th overall, in the 2002 NHL entry draft. He started his hockey career with the

Jokerit Helsingin Jokerit (, English: Joker (playing card), Jokers or Jesters of Helsinki) is a professional ice hockey team based in Helsinki, Finland, which competes in Mestis. Jokerit plays its home games at the Helsinki Ice Hall and Helsinki Halli in ...

organization and secured his place in the

SM-liiga The Liiga, colloquially called the Finnish Elite League in English or FM-ligan in Swedish, is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. The league comprises 16 teams from all around Finland with relegation and promotion between the Mest ...

team in the 2003–04 season as an offensive forward. He won the SM-liiga silver medal with Jokerit in 2005 and was set to become the team's number one center for the next season. However, Filppula moved to North America to play for the

Grand Rapids Griffins The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional ice hockey team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL), playing their home games at Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of t ...

of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

(AHL), the top minor league affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. He was selected to play for PlanetUSA in the 2005–06 AHL All-Star Game. On 15 December 2005, Filppula made his NHL debut with the Red Wings, becoming the first Finnish player ever to play an NHL game for Detroit. He scored his first NHL goal on 28 October 2006, against former Red Wing goaltender

Manny Legace Emmanuel Legace (born February 4, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender, who played most notably in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, and later the St. Louis Blues between 1998 and 2010. Legace also e ...

in a game against the

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

. He then scored his first playoff career goal in Game 1 of the

2007 Stanley Cup playoffs The 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 11, 2007. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played Playoff format#Best-of-seven playoff, best-of-seven series for conference quarterfinals, se ...

against the

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...

on 12 April 2007, his first post-season game. Filppula continued playing for the Red Wings and scored 36 points in his third season for the team in the 2007–08 season. He won his first

when Red Wings defeated the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...

in six games in the

2008 Stanley Cup Finals The 2008 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2007–08 season, and the culmination of the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings a ...

. He scored the second goal for Detroit in the decisive sixth game of the series, in which the Red Wings won 3–2. On 30 July 2008, Filppula signed a five-year, $15-million contract extension with Detroit, avoiding salary arbitration. On 21 September 2012, Filppula signed with his former team club Jokerit in Finland due to the

2012–13 NHL lockout 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to ...

that halted play. He returned to the Red Wings after the lockout, as his contract with Jokerit was signed to last as long as the lockout did.

Tampa Bay Lightning (2013–2017)

On 5 July 2013, Filppula signed a five-year, $25 million contract as an unrestricted free agent with the

. On 1 December 2014, Filppula recorded his 200th

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

assist in a 6–3

win over 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 ...

. On 6 January 2015, Filppula played in his 600th NHL game in a 4–2 Lightning win over the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...

Philadelphia Flyers (2017–2018)

The Lightning dealt Filppula on 1 March 2017, hours before the NHL Trade Deadline, to the

, along with a 2017 4th-round draft pick and a conditional 7th-round draft pick, in exchange for defenseman

Mark Streit Mark Thomas Streit (born 11 December 1977) is a Swiss former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was formerly the Captain (ice hockey), captain of both the New York Islanders and the Switzerland men's national ice hockey team, Swiss national ...

. Streit was immediately traded to the

for a draft pick. The moves allowed for Tampa Bay to clear Filppula's $5 million salary cap hit and protect another player in the

2017 NHL expansion draft The 2017 NHL expansion draft was an expansion draft conducted by the National Hockey League on June 18–20, 2017 to fill the roster of the league's expansion team for the 2017–18 season, the Vegas Golden Knights. The team's selections were an ...

due to his no-trade clause. Filppula reportedly rejected a transaction two days earlier that would've sent him to the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...

along with Lightning teammate Brian Boyle. Filppula made his Flyers debut on 2 March, a 2–1 shootout win against the

Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Panthers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team initially played it ...

in which he scored the tying goal and was awarded the game's third star. Prior to the 2017–18 season the Flyers named Filppula an alternate captain along with Andrew MacDonald.

New York Islanders (2018–2019)

On 1 July 2018, Filppula signed a one-year $2.75 million contract with the

. In the 2018–19 season, Filppula proved his versatility with the Islanders, used in all forward positions in posting 17 goals and 14 assists for 33 points in 72 games for the playoff-bound club. In the post-season, Filppula helped the Islanders advance to the second round collecting four assists in 8 games.

Return to Detroit (2019–2021)

On 1 July 2019, Filppula signed a two-year, $6 million contract with the Red Wings. On 1 February 2020, Filppula appeared in his 1,000th career NHL game, becoming the eighth Finnish-born player to reach the milestone.

Genève-Servette HC (2021–2024)

On 24 August 2021, Filppula joined Genève-Servette HC of the

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

(NL) on a one-year deal for the 2021–22 season. Flippula won the 2023 National League Championship with the team.

Return to Jokerit (2024–2025)

In August 2024, Filppula returned to

with a one-year contract. At the same time, he became one of the owners of the club and announced that he would receive no salary for the season. Filppula was also named the team captain. On 31 March 2025, Filppula and Jokerit were crowned champions of the 2024-25 Mestis season in the second tier of the Finnish hockey league. One month later, on 29 April, the 41-year-old forward announced his retirement from hockey.

International play

Filppula was named captain of

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

at the World under-18 Championships in Slovakia in

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

. At the 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, he scored four goals and five assists in seven games to be selected as a tournament all-star. He was selected to play for

at the

2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...

, which eventually resulted in a bronze medal win over

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

. He scored the empty net goal in the 5–3 win. On 7 January 2014, Filppula was named to the team Finland roster for the

2014 Winter Olympics The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Sochi 2014 (), were an international winter multi-sport event that was held from 7 to 23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Opening ro ...

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...

. On 6 February 2014, Filppula suffered an ankle injury in Tampa Bay's 4–1 loss to the

. The injury was diagnosed as a non-displaced fracture and he was expected to miss at least three weeks, forcing him to miss the Olympics. On 2 March 2016, Finland named Filppula to its

2016 World Cup of Hockey The 2016 World Cup of Hockey (abbreviated WCH2016) was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the third installment of the National Hockey League (NHL)-sanctioned competition, 12 years after the second World Cup of Hockey in 2004. It was ...

roster. He scored Finland's only goal of the tournament in the game against North America. Filppula served as captain of the gold medal-winning 2022 Finnish Olympic team and the gold medal-winning 2022 IIHF World Championship team. He was also honored as a flag bearer for the Parade of Nations at the Olympic opening ceremony. With his wins in 2022, Filppula became the first Finnish player and 30th overall to enter the

Personal life

Filppula is the younger brother of Ilari Filppula.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honors

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Filppula, Valtteri 1984 births Living people Detroit Red Wings draft picks Detroit Red Wings players Finnish expatriate ice hockey players in Switzerland Finnish expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Finnish ice hockey centres Genève-Servette HC players Grand Rapids Griffins players Ice hockey players at the 2010 Winter Olympics Ice hockey players at the 2022 Winter Olympics Jokerit players Medalists at the 2010 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 2022 Winter Olympics Olympic gold medalists for Finland Olympic bronze medalists for Finland Olympic ice hockey players for Finland Olympic medalists in ice hockey Ice hockey people from Vantaa Philadelphia Flyers players Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay Lightning players 21st-century Finnish sportsmen