Raimo Summanen

Who is Raimo Summanen?

Raimo Olavi Summanen, is a former professional ice hockey forward and th current head coach of HIFK of the Finnish Elite League. He is also a former coach of the Finnish national team. He was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the sixth round of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, 125th overall, and spent his NHL career with Edmonton and the Vancouver Canucks.

In 1984 Summanen, who was born in Jyväskylä, joined the Edmonton Oilers from Europe at the end of the regular season. He played 2 regular season games, and 5 playoff games. Summanen has a 1984 Stanley Cup ring, and is part of Edmonton Oilers first Stanley Cup winning picture. His name was left off the cup, because he did not officially qualify.

Summanen also played extensively in Finland, both before and after his NHL days, and in the American Hockey League. He played on Team Finland when they won their first Ice Hockey World Championships gold medal in 1995.

Summanen coached the Finnish National Team to a 2nd place finish in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. However, his reported abrasiveness with players and management led to his dismissal. Even during Finland's successful World Cup performance, defenceman Janne Niinimaa left the team after "conflicts with the coaching staff." He also had a testy relationship with the national team's manager, Timo Jutila.