Petteri Lotila (born 24 March 1978) is a Finnish-born Norwegian former professional ice hockey player.

Career

Lotila began his career as a young centre with the junior team of his local organisation, Lukko Rauma. Lotila started with a solid season, although he was not a regular player—in 12 games, he scored 6 points. As he rose through the ranks at Lukko, his production was steady and he proved to be a hard working, physical centreman. Lotila twice played in the post-season for the junior teams, in the 1996/97 season and the 1997/98 season. His promotion to the senior team, playing in the SM-Liiga would come in time for the 1999/2000 season, and although scoring just 2 points in 48 games, his effort was recognised as he finished the season with a plus/minus rating of plus 5. The following season, Lotila would move to play for Uusikaupunki Jää-Kotkat in the Mestis. Mestis is the second division of Finnish ice hockey and the highest level which can be reached through playing merit as the SM-Liiga was closed to any new teams entering in 2000. Lotila did not really settle though, and played just 7 games for his new team before returning to Lukko. He would stay for the rest of the season, as well as the season after (2001/02) and again would be a regular player for the side. In 2002/03, Lotila again ventured into the Mestis, signing for Hokki Kajaani but he would play just twice before returning to Uusikaupunki Jää-Kotkat for his second spell. It would again be a brief experience, and Lotila moved to sign for the

Stavanger Oilers Stavanger Ishockeyklubb, commonly referred to as Stavanger Oilers, is a Norwegian ice hockey team based in Stavanger, Norway. They currently play in the Fjordkraftligaen, which is the top division in Norwegian ice hockey. As of 2018, it is the ...

of Norway, where he would end the season. Lotila initially re-signed for Lukko for the 2003/04 season, but prior to the season starting chose to move to England to play for the newly formed Manchester Phoenix under head coach

Rick Brebant Richard Joseph "Rick" Brebant (born ) is a retired ice hockey player who played mainly in Great Britain. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame. Career Club Born in Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada, Brebant started his professional c ...

. Lotila quickly established himself as a regular starter for the Phoenix and amassed 49 regular season

EIHL The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to as the British Elite League or, for sponsorship reasons, the Viaplay Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey ...

appearances, scoring 17 points in the process. He helped the Phoenix into the post-season, playing 6 games before their season was brought to a close. Due to financial problems, the Phoenix franchise was temporarily suspended in 2004 which meant Lotila had to move again. He would return to Norway and the

. Since starting his second spell with the Oilers in 2004, Lotila has been a reliable and regular starter for the team. His work rate and defensive style have been utilised well in the four seasons he has spent with Stavanger, and Lotila has also helped out with 41 points in that time. Lotila continued to play for the Oilers until retiring in 2011.

Career statistics

External links

*
Uusikaupunki Jää-Kotkat Roster, 2000/01
Eurohockey.net
Petteri Lotila Personal Profile
Manchester Phoenix Official Website.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lotila, Petteri 1978 births Finnish ice hockey forwards Hokki players Living people Lukko players Manchester Phoenix players People from Rauma, Finland Stavanger Oilers players Norwegian ice hockey players Finnish emigrants to Norway Sportspeople from Satakunta