Antero Ansikorpi - Revision history

Croco at 23:43, 20 February 2009

2009-02-20T23:43:12Z

Croco: /* Childhood and Junior Hockey */

2009-02-20T23:23:32Z

Childhood and Junior Hockey

Croco at 20:49, 20 February 2009

2009-02-20T20:49:14Z

Lafayette1: /* Career statistics */

2009-02-20T18:04:11Z

Career statistics

Lafayette1: /* Career statistics */

2009-02-20T18:03:47Z

Career statistics

Croco at 09:51, 20 February 2009

2009-02-20T09:51:47Z

Lafayette1 at 22:24, 18 February 2009

2009-02-18T22:24:57Z

Lafayette1: /* Early Career */

2009-02-18T11:31:20Z

Early Career

Croco: /* Early Career */

2009-02-18T07:10:40Z

Early Career

Lafayette1: /* Personal Life */

2009-02-18T06:46:06Z

Personal Life

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 | position = Defense
 | shoots = Left
-| height = 6 ft 4 in
+| height = 6 ft 4 in (194 cm)
-| weight = 230 lb (104.3 kg, 16 st 6 lb)
+| weight = 230 lb (104 kg, 16 st 6 lb)
 | species = Gray Wolf (''Canis lupus'')
 | nationality = Finland

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 ==Childhood and Junior Hockey==
-Antero is the fourth of five children born to Kalevi and Kaija Ansikorpi; brothers Jarno (30), Teppo (29), Erkka (27), and Jaska (20), and sister Leila (24).  Like a lot of young Finnish pups, Antero was on skates at an early age, first taking to the ice at age 2 like his older brothers and sisters.  In his early days, he admired Esa Tikkanen for his tough, determined style of play; he took the number 10 to emulate his idol.  At age 7, a serious car accident would leave Antero with a broken leg and three broken ribs, costing him a year of development on the ice.  His injuries were the most severe of the seven in their van, with Kaija being the only other one with any broken bones as she broke her hand.
+Antero is the fourth of five children born to Kalevi and Kaija Ansikorpi; brothers Teppo (29), Erkka (27), and Jaska (20), and sister Leila (24).  Like a lot of young Finnish pups, Antero was on skates at an early age, first taking to the ice at age 2 like his older brothers and sisters.  In his early days, he admired Esa Tikkanen for his tough, determined style of play; he took the number 10 to emulate his idol.  At age 7, a serious car accident would leave Antero with a broken leg and three broken ribs, costing him a year of development on the ice.  His injuries were the most severe of the seven in their van, with Kaija being the only other one with any broken bones as she broke her hand.
 Starting out in his early stages, Ansikorpi played forward in the Tappara developmental program, where he showed promise.  When he was moved to defense at age 12, he was initially unhappy with the decision that was made, but he continued on and quickly developed into one of the premier junior defensemen in Finland.  In 2002, at the age of 16, Ansikorpi received an invitation to play for Team Finland in the Junior World Championship in the Czech Republic.  This was the first chance that he had to show the world his ability alongside players like Mikko Koivu, Tuomo Ruutu and Kari Lehtonen.  Even at a young age, Ansikorpi was integral in helping Finland win the bronze medal, scoring a goal and registering 3 assists in the seven games played.  He would help Finland win bronze medals the following two years, the second after netting the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic on home soil in Helsinki.

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 | position = Defense
 | shoots = Left
 | height = 6 ft 4 in
-| weight = 230 lb
+| weight = 230 lb (104.3 kg, 16 st 6 lb)
 | species = Gray Wolf (''Canis lupus'')
 | nationality = Finland

@@ Line 195: / Line 195: @@
 | 2005–06
 | Chicago Blackhawks
-| AHL
+| NHL
 | 56
 | 1

@@ Line 95: / Line 95: @@
 | --
 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
-| 1999–00
+| 1998–99
 | Prince George Cougars
 | WHL
@@ Line 109: / Line 109: @@
 | --
 |- ALIGN="center"
-| 2000–01
+| 1999–00
 | Prince George Cougars
 | WHL
@@ Line 123: / Line 123: @@
 | 31
 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
-| 2001–02
+| 2000–01
 | Prince George Cougars
 | WHL
@@ Line 137: / Line 137: @@
 | --
 |- ALIGN="center"
-| 2001–02
+| 2002–03
 | Medicine Hat Tigers
 | WHL
@@ Line 151: / Line 151: @@
 | --
 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
-| 2002–03
+| 2003–04
 | Medicine Hat Tigers
 | WHL
@@ Line 165: / Line 165: @@
 | --
 |- ALIGN="center"
-| 2002–03
+| 2003–04
 | [[Louisiana IceGators]]
 | ECHL
@@ Line 179: / Line 179: @@
 | 0
 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
-| 2003–04
+| 2004–05
 | Houston Aeros
-| American Hockey League|AHL
+| AHL
 | 53
 | 0
@@ Line 193: / Line 193: @@
 | 16
 |- ALIGN="center"
-| [[2004–05 AHL season|2004–05]]
+| 2005–06
-| Houston Aeros
+| Chicago Blackhawks
 | AHL
 | 56
@@ Line 207: / Line 207: @@
 | 38
 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
-| [[2005–06 NHL season|2005–06]]
+| 2006–07
-| [[Minnesota Wild]]
+| Minnesota Wild
-| [[National Hockey League|NHL]]
+| NHL
 | 65
 | 2
@@ Line 221: / Line 221: @@
 | --
 |- ALIGN="center"
-| [[2006–07 NHL season|2006–07]]
+| 2007–08
-| Minnesota Wild
+| [[Louisiana IceGators]]
 | NHL
 | 48
@@ Line 235: / Line 235: @@
 | 20
 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
-| [[2007–08 NHL season|2007–08]]
+| 2008–09
-| Minnesota Wild
+| [[Louisiana IceGators]]
 | NHL
 | 34

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 Antero is the fourth of five children born to Kalevi and Kaija Ansikorpi; brothers Jarno (30), Teppo (29), Erkka (27), and Jaska (20), and sister Leila (24).  Like a lot of young Finnish pups, Antero was on skates at an early age, first taking to the ice at age 2 like his older brothers and sisters.  In his early days, he admired Esa Tikkanen for his tough, determined style of play; he took the number 10 to emulate his idol.  At age 7, a serious car accident would leave Antero with a broken leg and three broken ribs, costing him a year of development on the ice.  His injuries were the most severe of the seven in their van, with Kaija being the only other one with any broken bones as she broke her hand.
-Starting out in his early stages, Antero played forward in the Tappara developmental program, where he showed promise.  When he was moved to defense at age 12, he was initially unhappy with the decision that was made, but he continued on and quickly developed into one of the premier junior defensemen in Finland.  In 2002, at the age of 16, Antero received an invitation to play for Team Finland in the Junior World Championship in the Czech Republic.  This was the first chance that he had to show the world his ability alongside players like Mikko Koivu, Tuomo Ruutu and Kari Lehtonen.  Even at a young age, Antero was integral in helping Finland win the bronze medal, scoring a goal and registering 3 assists in the seven games played.  He would help Finland win bronze medals the following two years, the second after netting the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic on home soil in Helsinki.
+Starting out in his early stages, Ansikorpi played forward in the Tappara developmental program, where he showed promise.  When he was moved to defense at age 12, he was initially unhappy with the decision that was made, but he continued on and quickly developed into one of the premier junior defensemen in Finland.  In 2002, at the age of 16, Ansikorpi received an invitation to play for Team Finland in the Junior World Championship in the Czech Republic.  This was the first chance that he had to show the world his ability alongside players like Mikko Koivu, Tuomo Ruutu and Kari Lehtonen.  Even at a young age, Ansikorpi was integral in helping Finland win the bronze medal, scoring a goal and registering 3 assists in the seven games played.  He would help Finland win bronze medals the following two years, the second after netting the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic on home soil in Helsinki.
 ==Early Career==
-On November 1, 2003, Antero made the jump from Tappara Jr. to the big squad, making his SM-liiga debut against Kärpät the following day.  In 42 games that season, he would lead his team in assists (16) and points by a defenseman (21), while wrapping up the runner-up position for goals by a defenseman with 5.  He accomplished this while achieving a plus/minus rating of +12 and racking up 74 PIMs to lead the team.  It was during this season that he established himself as a physical force, to which former Jokerit head coach Hannu Jortikka said of him after an especially hard hit on winger Marko Jantunen, "He (Ansikorpi) has to be the hardest hitter in the league, and perhaps the world.  The scary part about that is he's still very young, and will get better."  After the season, the Chicago Blackhawks made Antero their fifth-round draft pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
+On November 1, 2003, Ansikorpi made the jump from Tappara Jr. to the big squad, making his SM-liiga debut against Kärpät the following day.  In 42 games that season, he would lead his team in assists (16) and points by a defenseman (21), while wrapping up the runner-up position for goals by a defenseman with 5.  He accomplished this while achieving a plus/minus rating of +12 and racking up 74 PIMs to lead the team.  It was during this season that he established himself as a physical force, to which former Jokerit head coach Hannu Jortikka said of him after an especially hard hit on winger Marko Jantunen, "He (Ansikorpi) has to be the hardest hitter in the league, and perhaps the world.  The scary part about that is he's still very young, and will get better."  After the season, the Chicago Blackhawks made Ansikorpi their fifth-round draft pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
 ==NHL Career==
-==2007-08 Season: Rise to Elite Status and the Stanley Cup==
+He would start the 2005-06 season with the Blackhawks, but he struggled to adapt to the fast pace of the NHL.  Ansikorpi would wind up being sent down to the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate in Rockford, where he started to slowly grow accustomed to the different style of play in North America.  He would be called up on February 8, 2006, and would continue the rest of the season with the Blackhawks.  During that time, he would score his first NHL goal on March 7 against Columbus, and finish the season with 2 goals and 7 assists.  Hall-of-Famer Denis Savard, who was then an assistant coach for the Hawks, said of Ansikorpi , "He's got all the tools to be a successful defenseman in the NHL.  He's a big, strong kid that can move the puck and is not afraid to give up his body, and that will solidify his place in this league."
 ==Personal Life==

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 | weight = 230 lb
 | species = Gray Wolf (''Canis lupus'')
-| nationality = FIN
+| nationality = Finland
 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|10|29|mf=y}}
-| birth_place = Kangasala, FIN
+| birth_place = Kangasala, Finland
 | draft = 131st overall
 | draft_year = 2004

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:10, 18 February 2009
Line 27:		Line 27:

	==Early Career==		==Early Career==
		+	On November 1, 2003, Antero made the jump from Tappara Jr. to the big squad, making his SM-liiga debut against Kärpät the following day. In 42 games that season, he would lead his team in assists(16) and points by a defenseman(21), while wrapping up the runner-up position for goals by a defenseman with 5. He accomplished this while achieving a plus/minus rating of +12 and racking up 74 PIMs to lead the team. It was during this season that he established himself as a physical force, to which former Jokerit head coach Hannu Jortikka said of him after an especially hard hit on winger Marko Jantunen, "He (Ansikorpi) has to be the hardest hitter in the league, and perhaps the world. The scary part about that is he's still very young, and will get better." After the season, the Chicago Blackhawks made Antero their fifth-round draft pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

	==NHL Career==		==NHL Career==

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 When not on the ice, Antero likes to play the drums in his free time.  As a teenager growing up in Finland, he started playing the drums with the aspirations of starting a band with older brothers Teppo and Erkka.  However, his abilities would become noticed by Marco Tomasson and Katti Kapanen of the heavy metal band Eternal Winter, and offered him an invitation to the band at the age of 19.  But Antero turned it down in order to pursue his other dream of playing professional hockey, to which Kapanen, a lifelong Tappara fan, said in an interview with Metal Edge magazine, "I always thought Antero looked better wearing a hockey sweater and having one stick in his hands.  So I told him that I would be his biggest fan if he ever made it to an elite level.  And he has, and I am proud to be associated with him."
-Antero is currently engaged to Aurora Leppälä, his high school sweetheart, who moved in after he signed his contract extention.  They live together in Magnolia Bend, Louisiana, and have plans to get married after the completion of the 2008-09 season.
+Antero is currently engaged to Aurora Leppälä, his high school sweetheart, who moved in after he signed his contract extension.  They live together in [[Magnolia Bend]], Louisiana, and have plans to get married after the completion of the 2008-09 season.
 ==Career statistics==