Valtteri Filppula

Valtteri Filppula
Filppula with the Tampa Bay Lightning in December 2014
Born	(1984-03-20) 20 March 1984 (age 33) Vantaa, Finland
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Philadelphia Flyers Jokerit Detroit Red Wings Tampa Bay Lightning
National team	Finland
NHL Draft	95th overall, 2002 Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	2003–present

Medal record
Representing  Finland
Ice hockey
Winter Olympics
	2010 Vancouver
World Junior Championships
	2003 Canada
	2004 Finland

Valtteri Filppula (born 20 March 1984) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings, whom he won the Stanley Cup with in 2008.

Filppula was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the third round, 95th overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He started his hockey career with the Jokerit organization, and secured his place in the SM-liiga team in the 2003–04 season as an offensive forward. He won the SM-liiga silver medal with Jokerit in 2005, and was set to become the team's number one center for the next season. However, Filppula moved to North America to play for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL), the top minor league affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. He was selected to play for PlanetUSA in the 2005–06 AHL All-Star Game.

On 15 December 2005, Filppula made his NHL debut with the Red Wings, becoming the first Finnish player ever to play an NHL game for Detroit. He scored his first NHL goal on 28 October 2006, against former Red Wing goaltender Manny Legace in a game against the St. Louis Blues. He then scored his first playoff career goal in Game 1 of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Calgary Flames on 12 April 2007, his first post-season game.