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Player's Profile

Picture Courtesy of www.kalpa-hockey.fi

  • Name: Teemu Hartikainen
  • Position: C
  • Shoots: Left
  • Height: 6-1
  • Weight: 198 lbs
  • Birthdate: 1990-05-03
  • Eligible for Draft: 2008
  • Drafted: 2008
  • Hometown: Kuopio, Finland
  • Acquired: 6th round (163rd overall), 2008
  • Playing In: Europe

Teemu Hartikainen

Prospect Grade: 6.5 B  (About Prospect Grades)

Profile Contributed By: HF Staff

History

2006-07: Teemu Hartikainen has been a staple in his hometown of Kuopio, Finland while playing for the city’s junior hockey team, KalPa, since the 2006-07 season.  ISS ranked the young center fifth among Finnish prospects and Central Scouting ranked him 25th among European skaters.

2008-09: He had a superb year in the SM-Liiga, netting the rookie of the year and ended up 26th in league goal scoring with 17 goals in 51 games, a very impressive total considering he was 18 at the time. A few more eyes caught on to the 6’1 200-pound Finn at the U20 World Junior tournament where he led the Finnish team in points with nine in six games and ended up tied for eighth in points.

Talent Analysis

Hartikainen is known for his leadership as well as gritty and physical play.  Hartikainen has good size and his willingness to get his hands dirty will have a team take a flyer on him.  Described by Oiler brass after the draft as a ‘Tomas Holmstrom’-type player” for the way he battles all over the ice, especially in the corners and in front of the net.

On the downside, Hartikainen’s skating has been described somewhere between ‘lacking’ and ‘atrocious’.  For him to have much of a NHL future he will definitely need to improve in that department.  One scout also noted that he likes to “chirp at the opposition and whine to the officials a lot”.

Future

A third or fourth line checking forward.

Stats

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Profile Last Updated: August, 27th 2009

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