Tommi Kovanen

Tommi Kovanen
Date of birth	15th July 1975
place of birth	Pieksämäki , Finland
size	177 cm
Weight	80 kg
position	defender
Shot hand	Left
Career stations
1993-1997	KalPa Kuopio
1997-2000	Pelicans Lahti
2000-2003	Mikkelin Jukurit
2001	SHC Fassa
2003-2006	JYP Jyväskylä
2006	Friborg-Gottéron
2006-2008	HIFK Helsinki
2008-2010	Lukko Rauma
2010	Jokerit Helsinki
2010-2011	HIFK Helsinki
2011–2012	Tappara Tampere
2012-2013	Lukko Rauma

Tommi Kovanen (born July 15, 1975 in Pieksämäki ) is a former Finnish ice hockey player who was active for various clubs in the SM-liiga during his career .

Career

Tommi Kovanen began his career as an ice hockey player in the youth department of KalPa Kuopio , for whose professional team he was active from 1993 to 1997 in the SM-liiga , the highest Finnish league. Then the defender played for three years for the Pelicans Lahti , with whom he also played in the SM-liiga after two seasons in the second-rate I-divisioona and the subsequent promotion in the 1999/2000 season . From 2000 to 2003 he ran for Mikkelin Jukurit in the new Finnish second division, the Mestis , whose championship he won three times in a row during this period. At the beginning of the 2001/02 season he first joined the SHC Fassa from the Italian A1 series before returning to Jukurit.

From 2003 to 2006 was Kovanen for the SM-liiga participants JYP Jyväskylä on the ice before it the 2005/06 season with Friborg-Gottéron in the Swiss National League A ended. With the team he reached relegation relegation. He then returned to JYP in the SM-liiga, which he left after 17 games during the 2006/07 season to join league rivals HIFK Helsinki , where he spent the following year and a half. From 2008 to 2010 he played in the SM-liiga for Lukko Rauma . The Finn started the 2010/11 season at Jokerit Helsinki , with whom he took part in the European Trophy in preparation for the season . In December 2010 he was transferred within the Finnish capital to his ex-club HIFK Helsinki, with whom he won the Finnish championship title in the playoffs . As a loan player, he also ran once for the second division Kiekko-Vantaa .

For the 2011/12 season Kovanen was signed by Tappara Tampere , before he let his career end in the 2012/13 season with Lukko Rauma.

Achievements and Awards

• 1999 Promotion to the SM-liiga with Pelicans Lahti
• 2001 Master of the Mestis with Mikkelin Jukurit
• 2002 Master of the Mestis with Mikkelin Jukurit
• 2003 Master of Mestis with Mikkelin Jukurit
• 2011 Finnish champion with HIFK Helsinki

SM liiga statistics

	Seasons	Games	Gates	Assists	Points	Penalty minutes
Main round	12	441	40	113	153	448
Playoffs	6th	24	2	2	4th	14th
Relegation	3	18th	2	4th	6th	12

(Status: end of the 2010/11 season)

Web links

• Tommi Kovanen at eliteprospects.com (English)