Jani Rita
 Jani Rita 
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| Date of birth | July 25, 1981 |
| place of birth | Helsinki , Finland |
| size | 185 cm |
| Weight | 90 kg |
| position | Left wing |
| number | # 28 |
| Shot hand | Left |
| Draft | |
| NHL Entry Draft |
1999 , 1st lap, 13th position Edmonton Oilers |
| Career stations | |
| 1997-2001 | Jokerit Helsinki |
| 2001-2004 | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2004-2005 | HPK Hämeenlinna |
| 2005-2006 | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2006 | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 2006-2016 | Jokerit Helsinki |
Jani Markus Rita (born July 25, 1981 in Helsinki ) is a former Finnish ice hockey player . The left winger spent most of his career at Jokerit and is their record player with 617 games. In the National Hockey League he was also active for the Edmonton Oilers and the Pittsburgh Penguins . With the Finnish national team he won the bronze medal at the 2006 World Cup .
Career
Jani Rita began his career as a hockey player at Jokerit Helsinki, for which he was active in the SM-liiga from 1997 to 2001 . With the capital club he was third in the Finnish championship in 1998 and Finnish runner-up in 2000. During this time he was also selected in the NHL Entry Draft 1999 in the first round as a total of 13th player by the Edmonton Oilers , for whom he made his debut in the National Hockey League in the 2001/02 season . However, he was only on the ice in one game in which he remained pointless. In the following two seasons, the Finn was only used sporadically in the Oilers' NHL team and played mainly for their farm teams from the American Hockey League , the Hamilton Bulldogs and Toronto Roadrunners .
During the lockout in the 2004/05 NHL season , Rita returned as a free agent to his Finnish homeland, where he finished third with HPK Hämeenlinna . Subsequently, the Edmonton Oilers took him back under contract, but they gave him up on January 26, 2006 together with defender Cory Cross to the Pittsburgh Penguins . In return, the Swede Dick Tärnström moved to the Canadian metropolis. After the season, the attacker was signed by his ex-club Jokerit Helsinki, for whom he played from then on and with whom he was runner-up in 2007.
After his return to Jokerit, Rita was active for the team for a total of 10 years, from 2014 to 2016 also in the Continental Hockey League . He ended his active career after the 2015/16 season as the record player for Jokerit, with 617 appearances in the regular season.
International
For Finland , Rita took part in the U20 Junior World Championships in 1999 , 2000 and 2001 , as well as the World Championships in 2005 and 2006 .
Achievements and Awards
- 2000 Finnish runner-up with Jokerit Helsinki
- 2005 Raimo Kilpiö Trophy
- 2007 Finnish runner-up with Jokerit Helsinki
- 2007 Aarne Honkavaara Trophy
International
- 2001 silver medal at the U20 Junior World Championship
- 2001 All-Star-Team U20 Junior World Championship
- 2006 bronze medal at the world championship
Career statistics
| Seasons | Games | Gates | Assists | Points | Penalty minutes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NHL : Regular season | 4th | 66 | 9 | 5 | 14th | 10 |
| NHL: playoffs | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Liiga : Regular season | 12 | 583 | 146 | 123 | 269 | 195 |
| Liiga: Playoffs | 11 | 83 | 22nd | 17th | 39 | 45 |
| KHL : Regular season | 2 | 90 | 6th | 7th | 13 | 36 |
| KHL: playoffs | 2 | 7th | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Web links
| personal data | |
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| SURNAME | Rita, Jani |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Rita, Jani Markus (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Finnish ice hockey player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 25, 1981 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Helsinki , Finland |