Pasi Nielikäinen (born 11 February 1974, Oulainen, Finland) is a former professional ice hockey player.

Playing career

Nielikäinen has played for numerous teams in the Finnish SM-liiga; these include Kärpät,

HIFK HIFK, the Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna, Helsingfors (IFK, Helsingfors) rf (officially abbreviated IFK Helsingfors, colloquially often Helsingfors IFK or Helsingin IFK ) is a multi-sport association based in Helsinki, Finland. Formed in 1897 on ...

and

HPK Hämeenlinnan Pallokerho (HPK) is a professional ice hockey team in the Liiga, the top men's ice hockey league in Finland. Their home ice is the Ritari-areena in Hämeenlinna. HPK was established in 1929. The parent club of the team is HPK Edu ...

. Nielikäinen also played one season in East Coast Hockey League for the

Miami Matadors The Miami Matadors were an ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League. They played in Miami, Florida, at the Miami Arena for one season before folding. The Matadors franchise would resurface two years later as the Cincinnati Cyclones. Histo ...

and one season for the British team the Manchester Storm.

Style of play

Nielikäinen is not a usual Finnish hockey player when it comes to playing. Nielikäinen is known for serving as an enforcer for his team. Nielikäinen also is not shy when it comes to dropping gloves and scrapping on the ice. Nielikäinen's most famous rivalries include the one with fellow SM-liiga player Sami Helenius and his single fight against

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

-enforcer Ryan Vandenbusche in the 2005/06 season for which HIFK and Jokerit got fined 15.000 euros/team.

Off the ice

Nielikäinen is married to former Finnish Beauty contestant Jenni Nielikäinen (née Anttila)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nielikainen, Pasi 1974 births Living people Finnish ice hockey right wingers Porin Ässät (men's ice hockey) players HIFK (ice hockey) players HPK players Jokerit players Kiekko-Vantaa players Manchester Storm (1995–2002) players Oulun Kärpät players People from Oulainen Ice hockey people from North Ostrobothnia