Veli-Pekka Ketola

Veli-Pekka Ketola (born 28 March 1948) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player and coach.

Veli-Pekka Ketola
Born (1948-03-28) 28 March 1948
Pori, Finland
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 238 lb (108 kg; 17 st 0 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Karhut
Ässät
Winnipeg Jets
Calgary Cowboys
Colorado Rockies
National team  Finland
Playing career 19631983

Playing career

Veli-Pekka Ketola played in the Finnish League, World Hockey Association, and National Hockey League. While Ketola was playing for the Ässät of the Finnish League, he won the league scoring twice in 1971 and 1978 and was a six-time all-star.

In 1974, Ketola went to North America to play for the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association. He played just over two and a half seasons, from 1974–75 to 1976–77, for the Jets and he played the last 17 games of the 1976–77 WHA season for the Calgary Cowboys. After those three years in the WHA, he returned to Finland to once again play for the Ässät Pori. Despite being signed by the Vancouver Canucks on 6 March 1979, he didn't play for a North American team again until he played 44 games for the Colorado Rockies of the NHL during the 1981–82 season.

Coaching career

Veli-Pekka Ketola coached Ässät Pori of the Finnish League from 1993–94 season to 1996–97 season's first six games. He returned to coaching in March 1999 to replace fired Esko Nokelainen. In addition to coaching Ketola was also Ässät General Manager from 1994–95 season to end of season 1999–00.

Season 2003–04 he was briefly the head coach of Austrian EHC Linz. He returned to Ässät Pori as a senior adviser for season 2013–14 and the following season. 2015 and 2016 he was a Team Manager of Finnish U20 National Team in the World Junior Championship games.[1]

Honours and accolades

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1963–64 Karhut SM-s 2 0 0 0 0
1964–65 Karhut SM-s 18 4 1 5 2
1965–66 Karhut SM-s 19 8 3 11 12
1966–67 Karhut SM-s 22 15 10 25 30
1967–68 Ässät SM-s 20 12 13 25 16
1968–69 Ässät SM-s 20 15 9 24 22
1969–70 Jokerit SM-s 22 25 12 37 26
1970–71 Ässät SM-s 31 25 17 42 31
1971–72 Ässät SM-s 32 16 14 30 25
1972–73 Ässät SM-s 36 25 16 41 74
1973–74 Ässät SM-s 35 23 21 44 44
1974–75 Winnipeg Jets WHA 74 23 28 51 25
1975–76 Winnipeg Jets WHA 80 32 36 68 32 13 7 5 12 2
1976–77 Winnipeg Jets WHA 64 25 29 54 59
1976–77 Calgary Cowboys WHA 17 4 6 10 2
1977–78 Ässät SM-l 36 27 29 56 59 9 10 10 20 22
1978–79 Ässät SM-l 36 23 49 72 66 8 1 6 7 30
1979–80 Ässät SM-l 36 22 38 60 61 7 3 7 10 40
1980–81 Ässät SM-l 36 23 39 62 61 2 0 0 0 2
1981–82 Colorado Rockies NHL 44 9 5 14 4
1982–83 KalPa FIN II 6 4 8 12 6
SM-s totals 257 168 116 284 282
SM-l totals 144 95 155 250 247 26 14 23 37 94
WHA totals 235 84 99 183 118 13 7 5 12 2

International

Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM
1968 Finland OLY 8 3 3 6 10
1969 Finland WC 8 0 2 2 2
1970 Finland WC 10 3 4 7 32
1971 Finland WC 6 5 1 6 4
1972 Finland OLY 6 1 3 4 7
1972 Finland WC 9 4 3 7 4
1973 Finland WC 10 2 2 4 12
1974 Finland WC 10 7 3 10 4
1976 Finland CC 5 0 0 0 2
1981 Finland CC 5 0 0 0 6
Senior totals 77 25 21 46 83

References

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