Jere Kalervo Lehtinen Finnish professional ice hockey forward Date of Birth: 24.06.1973 Country: Finland

1. Early Career
2. Rise to Stardom
3. NHL Career
4. Later Career

Early Career

Jere Lehtinen, a Finnish professional ice hockey forward, currently plays for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. As a right-winger, Lehtinen was drafted 88th overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota North Stars. Known for his skills as both an offensive and defensive player, Lehtinen has won the Frank J. Selke Trophy three times as the league's top defensive forward.

Lehtinen began his career with his hometown team, Kiekko-Espoo. While the team was stuck in the first division, they advanced to the SM-liiga in 1991, marking the start of Lehtinen's professional career. After another year with Kiekko-Espoo, internal turmoil led Lehtinen to leave the team.

Rise to Stardom

In the summer of 1993, Lehtinen signed with TPS, one of the top clubs at the time. From the start of the season, he proved his worth. Pairing up with fellow future NHL player Saku Koivu, they formed the backbone of a very successful TPS season. The team won the regular season with a wide margin but fell short in the finals.

The following season, TPS and Lehtinen once again advanced to the championship, this time defeating last year's opponent, Jokerit, in the finals. After the season, Lehtinen was invited to the Finnish national team for the 1995 IIHF World Championship. The Finnish team dominated the competition and beat Sweden in the finals with a score of 4-1, claiming the country's first and only IIHF World Championship gold.

NHL Career

Following the successful year, Lehtinen decided to pursue his career overseas and joined the NHL. After just one game in the minor leagues, he made the jump to the Dallas Stars. Over three seasons of hard work, Lehtinen earned the first-line spot that was previously held by Mike Modano and made his first nomination for the Frank J. Selke Trophy.

The 1997-1998 season saw Lehtinen being named to the NHL All-Star Team, which for the first time featured a European team against a North American team. In 1999, the Stars advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals and defeated the Buffalo Sabres in six games to claim the Cup. Lehtinen scored the first goal in the sixth game and assisted Brett Hull's series-clinching goal. He was awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy again, becoming only the third player in NHL history to win the award in two consecutive seasons.

Later Career

The following year, an ankle injury limited Lehtinen to only 17 games. He returned to play after recovering, only to be sidelined by another injury. However, the 2000-2001 season saw Lehtinen bounce back from his setbacks. The team, however, failed to match its previous success.

A similar pattern followed the next year as Lehtinen performed well, but Detroit failed to make it to the playoffs. Overall, Lehtinen consistently showcased his high level of play, with minor setbacks like the 2003-2004 season. In the 2004-2005 season, he represented Finland in the World Cup, leading them to a near-victory before losing to Canada in the finals. Lehtinen was also a key member of the Finnish Olympic team in Torino 2006.

Currently, Lehtinen continues to play for the Dallas Stars and represented Finland in Vancouver.