Teppo Numminen
| Teppo Numminen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Teppo Numminen playing for the Buffalo Sabres, January 2007.
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| Born |
July 3, 1968 Tampere, FIN |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for |
Tappara (SM-liiga) TuTo (SM-liiga) Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes Dallas Stars Buffalo Sabres |
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| National team |
 Finland
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| NHL Draft | 29th overall, 1986 Winnipeg Jets |
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| Playing career | 1985–2009 | ||
Teppo Kalevi Numminen (born July 3, 1968) is a Finnish retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League.
Numminen started his career with his local team, Tappara, in the SM-liiga. Drafted in the second round (twenty-ninth overall) in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets, Numminen moved to North America in 1988 to play for the Jets. He moved with the team as it became the Phoenix Coyotes before the 1996–97 season. He played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1999, 2000 and 2001. After fifteen seasons playing for the Winnipeg/Phoenix organization, Numminen was traded to the Dallas Stars in July 2003, for Mike Sillinger. Numminen took a break from hockey during the 2004–05 NHL lockout, then signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Sabres.
On November 13, 2006, Numminen played his 1252nd game in the NHL, thus setting a record for most NHL games played as a European-trained player, surpassing Jari Kurri.
After signing a one-year contract for the 2007–08 NHL season, Numminen was forced to undergo open heart surgery before the start of the season. Numminen was suspended by the Buffalo Sabres when it was discovered he needed heart surgery. Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier stated the suspension was because his $2.6 million contract was not insured, and the contract contains a clause that states the player must pass the physical and be fit to play.
Word came that Numminen's heart surgery was successful. Completed on September 20, 2007, at the Cleveland Clinic, the surgery was performed to repair a faulty valve. Numminen was able to return to action for the final game of the Sabres' 2007–08 season on April 5, 2008.
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