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Susanna Tapani

Summary

Susanna "Suski" Tapani (born 2 March 1993) is a Finnish multi-sport elite athlete who competes in ice hockey, ringette, and in-line hockey, currently playing in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) with PWHL Boston. She is captain of the Finnish national ringette team and a member of the Finnish national ice hockey team.

Susanna Tapani
Tapani with PWHL Minnesota in 2024
Personal information
Born (1993-03-02) 2 March 1993 (age 31)
Laitila, Finland
EducationTurku University of Applied Sciences
Height1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight65 kg (143 lb; 10 st 3 lb)
Ice hockey career
Position Forward
Shoots Left
PWHL team
Former teams		 PWHL Boston
National team  Finland
Playing career 2011–present
Sport
CountryFinland Finland
SportRingette
PositionForward
ShootsLeft
Semi-proSM Ringette
ClubRNK Flyers
Medal record
Women's ice hockey
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Pyeongchang Ice hockey
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Beijing Ice hockey
World Championship
Silver medal – second place 2019 Finland
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Switzerland
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Sweden
Bronze medal – third place 2017 United States
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Canada
Bronze medal – third place 2024 United States
Ringette
World Championship
Gold medal – first place 2010 Finland
Gold medal – first place 2016 Finland
Gold medal – first place 2017 Canada
Gold medal – first place 2019 Canada
Gold medal – first place 2022 Finland
World Junior Championship
Gold medal – first place 2009 Czech Republic
Silver medal – second place 2012 Canada

Tapani is the subject of a Finnish documentary, Jäänsärkijä ('Icebreaker'), which follows her life as she competes in elite ringette, ice hockey, and in-line hockey from 2015 to 2019.[1]

Ice hockey career edit

Tapani played ice hockey in Finland in the Naisten Liiga with TPS Naiset, Lukko Naiset, Espoo Blues Naiset, and HPK Kiekkonaiset. In Sweden, Tapani played in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) with Linköping HC Dam. In the United States, Tapani played with the North Dakota Fighting Hawks women's ice hockey program during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I women's ice hockey season.[2] In Russia, Tapani played professional ice hockey in the Russian Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL) with the KRS Vanke Rays during the later part of the 2021–22 ZhHL season.[3]

During the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons, Tapani played with the TPS Juniorijääkiekko men's under-18 (U18) team, known as TPS U18 Akatemia, of the U18 Mestis/U18 Suomi-sarja until scheduling conflicts forced her to choose between ringette and ice hockey in November 2020.[4] When it became clear that the TPS U18 Akatemia was unable or unwilling to alter its schedule to accommodate Tapani, she chose to leave the team and continue playing ringette with RNK Raisio of the Finnish Championship ringette league, the Ringeten SM-sarja [fi] (now known as SM Ringette), which is the ringette team she captains. Regarding the situation, Tapani stated, "I’m not commenting on the discussions [with TPS] or the way this came to be, but combining the two sports didn’t fit when there were too many overlapping games."[5]

She signed a contract for the 2023–24 season in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) with the Metropolitan Riveters in May 2023.[6] The PHF was bought out and dissolved in late June 2023 and her contract was voided before she was able to play in the league.

Tapani was drafted in the fifth round, 25th overall by the PWHL Minnesota in the 2023 PWHL Draft.[7] She was the first Finnish player to be drafted by a PWHL team and, along with Minttu Tuominen, was one of two Finnish players drafted in 2023.[8] She later signed a two-year contract with Minnesota, through the 2024–25 season.[9] On 11 February 2024, PWHL Minnesota traded Tapani and defender Abby Cook to PWHL Boston in exchange for Sophie Jaques in the PWHL's inaugural trade.[10] Prior to being traded, Tapani had recorded two goals and three assists in nine games with Minnesota.[11][12]

Training edit

Tapani trained with several men's professional ice hockey players during the extended pause between the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons due to COVID-19. Under the direction of Ismo Lehkonen, the group – which included NHLers Kaapo Kakko, Artturi Lehkonen, Mikko Rantanen, and Rasmus Ristolainen, and several Liiga players – trained on the ice together for two hours a day. Jonne Virtanen, long-time Liiga player and member of the training group, noted that Tapani's strength and toughness would be well suited to a style of play that permitted checking and enthused, "Suski is the best female player that I have ever seen."[13]

International play edit

Tapani made three appearances with the Finnish women's national under-18 ice hockey team at the IIHF Women's World U18 Championship, in 2009, 2010, and 2011, winning a bronze medal at the 2011 tournament.[14][15][16]

As of 2020, Tapani ranks sixth in all-time points scored with the Finnish women's national team, tallying 75 goals and 72 assists for 147 points in 179 top division matches.[17] She has represented Finland at every IIHF Women's World Championship since 2011, except the 2016 tournament.[18][19][20][21][22] At the 2017 IIHF Women's World Championship, she was Finland's leading scorer and ranked fifth for scoring in the tournament overall with 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points in 5 games.[23]

Tapani has also competed with the Finnish national team at the Winter Olympic Games, debuting in the women's ice hockey tournament at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Though Finland suffered their worst Olympic placement in team history, finishing in fifth place, Tapani saw individual success and tied teammate Riikka Välilä for third rank on the Finnish scoring list, with 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points in six games.[24] In the women's ice hockey tournament at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Finland won bronze and Tapani finished fourth in the team's scoring ranks, with 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points in six games.[25] The women's ice hockey tournament at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing saw Tapani take another step in offensive production, ranking first on the team in scoring with 6 goals and 2 assists for 8 points in seven games, and leading Finland to another bronze medal victory.[26][27]

In 2021, Finnish national ice hockey team head coach Pasi Mustonen called Tapani the team's best forward among a roster which also included internationally recognized forwards Michelle Karvinen and Petra Nieminen.[13]

Career statistics edit

Regular season and playoffs edit

Note: Italics indicate postseason relegation series; statistics not included in playoff totals.

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2009–10 LaJy U16 U16 II-divisioona 22 28 22 50 10 — — — — —
2010–11 LaJy U16 U16 II-divisioona 2 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
2010–11 LaJy U18 U18 III-divisioona 9 5 8 13 2 — — — — —
2011–12 LaJy U18 U18 II-divisioona 11 9 13 22 2 — — — — —
2011–12 HPK Naisten SM-sarja 4 2 2 4 6 4 2 1 3 0
2012–13 Kiekko-67 U18 U18 Suomi-sarja 6 4 2 6 0 — — — — —
2012–13 Espoo Blues Naisten SM-sarja 3 0 2 2 2 5 2 1 3 2
2013–14 UND Fighting Hawks NCAA 24 8 12 20 12 — — — — —
2014–15 HPK Naisten SM-sarja 8 6 4 10 10 6 7 14 21 2
2015–16 HPK Naisten SM-sarja 5 4 3 7 0 8 4 4 8 2
2016–17 Lukko Naisten SM-sarja 10 5 4 9 2 5 10 5 15 4
2017–18 Lukko Naisten Liiga 7 5 4 9 6 — — — — —
2018–19 TPS Naisten Liiga 16 24 8 32 14 — — — — —
2018–19 Linköping HC SDHL — — — — — 10 4 3 7 2
2019–20 TPS U18 U18 Suomi-sarja 16 5 10 15 2 — — — — —
2019–20 TPS Naisten Liiga — — — — — 1 0 2 2 4
2020–21 TPS U18 U18 Mestis 1 0 2 2 0 — — — — —
2020–21 KRS Vanke Rays ZhHL — — — — — 3 1 2 3 0
2021–22 KRS Vanke Rays ZhHL 12 7 5 12 8 8 4 6 10 4
2023–24 Minnesota PWHL 9 2 3 5 2 — — — — —
Naisten Liiga totals 53 46 27 73 40 23 15 20 35 6
ZhHL totals 12 7 5 12 8 11 5 8 13 4
PWHL totals 9 2 3 5 2 — — — — —

International edit

Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2009 Finland U18 WW18 5th 5 3 0 3 0
2010 Finland U18 WW18 5th 5 2 1 3 4
2011 Finland U18 WW18   6 4 2 6 33
2011 Finland WW   6 1 2 3 4
2012 Finland WW 4th 6 1 0 1 2
2013 Finland WW 4th 6 0 0 0 2
2014 Finland OG 5th 6 1 4 5 2
2015 Finland WW   6 1 2 3 2
2017 Finland WW   6 3 6 9 2
2018 Finland OG   6 2 3 5 4
2019 Finland WW   7 4 2 6 10
2021 Finland WW   7 3 2 5 6
2022 Finland OG   7 6 2 8 0
2022 Finland WW 6th 6 3 2 5 0
Junior totals 16 9 3 12 37
Senior totals 69 25 25 50 34

Source: [28][27][29]

Ringette career edit

Tapani began playing ringette as a child. At the international level of competition, Tapani has served as the captain of the Senior Finland national ringette team. She has also served as the captain of the Raision Nuorisokiekko [fi] (RNK) Flyers ringette team in the SM Ringette league, formerly known as Ringeten SM-sarja [fi] (RSMs). SM Ringette is Finland's semi-professional ringette league and is also its top elite ringette league.

Tapani has had an illustrious career in ringette before transitioning to ice hockey. She has won numerous titles and awards that have helped cement her status as one of the greatest ringette players of all time in Finland. Here are some of her significant achievements in semi-professional ringette:

  • Six-time Finnish national champion: Tapani has won the Finnish national championship six times, playing for the Espoo Rings and the Lapinlahden Luistin-89 teams.
  • Four-time tournament MVP: Tapani has been named the MVP of the Finnish National Ringette League (SM-Ringette) four times throughout her career.
  • Four-time scoring champion (Jenni-Lysa Vehanen Trophy): Tapani has won the scoring title in the Finnish National Ringette League four times, earning the Jenni-Lysa Vehanen Trophy.

Susanna Tapani's achievements in ringette have made her one of the most successful players in the sport's history in Finland, and she has also carried her speed, agility, and puck-handling abilities over to her successful ice hockey career.

International play edit

Tapani played ringette for Team Finland Junior at the 2009 World Junior Ringette Championships (U19) and the 2012 World Junior Ringette Championships. She has also played at the senior level with the Finnish national ringette team at the World Ringette Championships in 2010, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022, winning gold at each tournament.

Year Team Event Result
2009[30] Finland U19 (White) WJRC  
2010 Finland WRC  
2012 Finland U19 WJRC  
2016 Finland WRC  
2017 Finland WRC  
2019 Finland WRC  
2022 Finland WRC  

Personal life edit

Tapani studied sports management at the Turku University of Applied Sciences.[32]

References edit

  1. ^ Aykroyd, Lucas (4 April 2020). "Best women's hockey documentaries". IIHF. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  2. ^ Dodds, David L. (January 2014). "UND's 'dynamo dozen' headed to the Olympic Games". UND Today. Archived from the original on 15 September 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  3. ^ "Две россиянки, трое призёров ЧМ-2021: «КРС Ванке Рэйз» обновили состав". Женская хоккейная лига (in Russian). 3 September 2021. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  4. ^ Karttunen, Anu (2 November 2020). "Naisleijonien huipputykki Susanna Tapani joutui tylyyn tilanteeseen: joutuu etsimään itselleen uuden joukkueen". Yle (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  5. ^ Jalonen, Pekka (2 November 2020). "Susanna Tapani valitsi ringeten, ei saa enää pelata TPS:ssa: "Aiheutti pahaa verta"". Iltalehti (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021. En kommentoi keskusteluja tai tapaa miten tähän päädyttiin, mutta kahden lajin yhdistäminen ei sopinut, kun pelejä oli liikaa päällekkäin.
  6. ^ Kennedy, Ian (16 May 2023). "Finland's Susanna Tapani Set To Sign In PHF". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  7. ^ Kennedy, Ian (18 September 2023). "Minnesota Takes Finnish Legend Susanna Tapani". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  8. ^ Oivio, Janne (18 September 2023). "Susanna Tapani teki suomalaista jääkiekkohistoriaa". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  9. ^ Blount, Rachel (18 November 2023). "Natalie Darwitz works to shape Minnesota's still-unnamed PWHL team". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  10. ^ Couture, Jon (11 February 2024). "PWHL Boston makes league's inaugural trade, sending college star Sophie Jaques to Minnesota for BU alumna Abby Cook, Susanna Tapani". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  11. ^ Kennedy, Ian (11 February 2024). "Boston's Sophie Jaques Traded To Minnesota For Susanna Tapani and Abby Cook". The Hockey News. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) Announces Trade Between Boston and Minnesota". Professional Women's Hockey League (Press release). 11 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  13. ^ a b Teiskonlahti, Kirsi (8 April 2021). "Tukalaan tilanteeseen joutunut Susanna Tapani pääsi kovaan treeniseuraan – kyykytti NHL-pelaajaa ja voitti kaksinkamppailussa 118-kiloisen Jonne Virtasen". Yle (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 24 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  14. ^ "IIHF – Team Finland Stats – 2009 U-18 World Championship" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 September 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  15. ^ "IIHF – Team Finland Stats – 2010 U-18 World Championship" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  16. ^ "IIHF – Team Finland Stats – 2011 U-18 World Championship" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  17. ^ 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: 321. ISSN 0784-3321. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  18. ^ IIHF (2011). IIHF Media Guide & Record Book 2012. Fenn/M&S. p. 557. ISBN 978-0-7710-9598-6.
  19. ^ [1] IIHF - Team Finland Stats - 2011 World Championship]]
  20. ^ "IIHF - Team Finland Stats - 2012 World Championship" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  21. ^ "IIHF – Team Finland Stats – 2013 World Championship" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 December 2016.
  22. ^ 2015 IIHF World Championship roster Archived 13 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ "2017 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship – Scoring Leaders" (PDF). IIHF. 7 April 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  24. ^ "IIHF – Team Finland Stats – 2014 Olympics" (PDF). IIHF. Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  25. ^ "PeyongChang 2018 – Ice Hockey, Women – Scoring Leaders" (PDF). IIHF. 22 February 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  26. ^ "Beijing 2022 – Athletes: Susanna TAPANI, Ice Hockey". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  27. ^ a b "Beijing 2022 – Ice Hockey, Women – Player Statistics by Team: FIN - Finland" (PDF). IIHF. 16 February 2022. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  28. ^ Podnieks, Andrew; Nordmark, Birger, eds. (2019). IIHF Guide & Record Book 2020. Toronto: Moydart. p. 663. ISBN 9780986796470.
  29. ^ "2022 IIHF Women's World Championship – Player Statistics by Team: FIN - Finland". IIHF. 4 September 2022. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  30. ^ "Team Finland White Stars win gold at first IRF U-19 Ringette Championship". Archived from the original on 12 November 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  31. ^ "Finland Wins World Ringette Championships Again, USA Winner of President's Pool". wrc2022.fi/en/. Ringette Finland. 6 November 2022. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  32. ^ Johanna Stenroos-Vuorio (2016). "MM-kultamitalisti Susanna Tapani viihtyy urheilujohtamisen opinnoissaan" [World Championship gold medalist Susanna Tapani enjoys her sports management studies]. turkuamki.fi. Turku AMK. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.

External links edit

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