Olli Malmivaara

Who is Olli Malmivaara?

Olli Malmivaara is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently playing with the Espoo Blues of the SM-liiga. Malmivaara was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks as their fourth-round pick, #117 overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Malmivaara played junior hockey in Jokerit and made his SM-liiga debut there; in 2003 he signed with SaiPa and spent two years with that team. In 2006 he signed with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Malmivaara was a physical defenceman in the Finnish league, where he racked up an average of over 100 penalty minutes a season. The Devils signed him looking for defensive depth in Lowell. He played his first NHL game on October 31, 2007 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 6–1 win where he played just over 10 minutes. He would only play one other game in the 2007–08 NHL season, dressing for seven and a half minutes against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 3-2 win.