Tapio Sammalkangas

Tapio Sammalkangas
Sammalkangas with the Porin Ässät in 2010
Born (1980-03-16) March 16, 1980
Tampere, Finland
Position Defence
Played for Ilves
AaB Ishockey
Ässät
Tappara
Playing career 1998–2017

Tapio Sammalkangas (born March 16, 1980) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey defenceman. Sammalkangas played 671 games in the Finnish Elite League scoring 94 points and 803 penalty minutes. He won the Finnish Championship with the Porin Ässät in 2013 and Tappara in 2017. He was known as a defensive defenceman.[1]

Early life

Tapio Sammalkangas was born in Tampere, Finland on 16 March 1980. His father, Timo, played ice hockey as a junior with Ilves and in Sweden's lower divisions.[2]

Career

Junior

Tapio Sammalkangas started ice hockey in the Tampereen Ilves as a four-year old.[3] He played as a forward until the age of ten.[2] Sammalkangas won the U18 bronze medal with Ilves in 1997 and U20 silver in 1999.

Professional (1998–2017)

Sammalkangas made his professional debut with Ilves in the 1998 SM-liiga playoffs. He played three games with no points. Ilves lost the Kanada-malja finals to IFK Helsingfors. The 1999–2000 season was his actual rookie season in the SM-liiga. He played 47 regular season games with Ilves, scoring three points and 56 penalty minutes.

Sammalkangas joined the Porin Ässät for the 2006–07 season. He won the Kanada-malja championship with the club in 2013 and served as alternate captain from 2011 to 2015. He played the 2016–17 season with Tappara and won the championship. He retired after the season.[1] In total, Sammalkangas played eleven seasons with the Porin Ässät.

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1997–98 Ilves U20 Jr. A SM-liiga 1611222 —————
1997–98 Ilves Liiga ————— 30000
1998–99 Ilves U20 Jr. A SM-liiga 30471164 90118
1999–00 Ilves U20 Jr. A SM-liiga 912355 —————
1999–00 Ilves Liiga 4703356 30000
2000–01 Ilves U20 Jr. A SM-liiga 10000 —————
2000–01 Ilves Liiga 5434734 91014
2001–02 Ässät Liiga 525101570 —————
2002–03 Ilves Liiga 5101122 —————
2003–04 Fresno Falcons ECHL 701181984 —————
2004–05 AaB Ishockey Denmark 2925746 1611231
2005–06 AaB Ishockey Denmark 364111565 1736950
2006–07 Ässät Liiga 49941398 —————
2007–08 Ässät Liiga 4916742 —————
2008–09 Ässät Liiga 55246116 —————
2009–10 Ässät Liiga 2410116 —————
2009–10 LeKi Mestis 40006 —————
2010–11 Ässät Liiga 4826877 60006
2011–12 Ässät Liiga 55381171 200027
2012–13 Ässät Liiga 5618938 161126
2013–14 Ässät Liiga 2413441 —————
2014–15 Ässät Liiga 3812363 20002
2015–16 Ässät Liiga 4203347 —————
2016–17 Tappara Liiga 2712312 10000
Liiga totals 671 30 64 94 803 56 5 4 9 59

References

  1. 1 2 "Sammalkangas lyö hokkarit naulaan". Jatkoaika.com - Kaikki jääkiekosta (in Finnish). July 31, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Puomila, Paavo. "HAASTATTELUT – 22.11.2000 Tapio Sammalkangas". Archived from the original on August 22, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Ilves pelaajaesittely". Archived from the original on September 24, 2015.