Mikko Maenpaa Finnish hockey player, defender. Country: Finland

Biography of Mikko Maenpaa

Mikko Maenpaa is a Finnish hockey player, a defenseman, and a product of the Tappara club. He is currently a player for the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Maenpaa began his professional career in 2002 with the SM-Liiga club YUIP, after playing for the farm club of his hometown Tappara. In 2004, after short stints with the Mestis league clubs Sport and Jukurit, Mikko signed a contract until the end of the season with Pelicans. On June 1, 2005, Maenpaa decided to return to Jukurit, signing a one-year agreement. That season, Mikko helped his team to promote to the elite Finnish division and then signed a two-year contract with HPK. In the 2006/07 season, he achieved bronze medals in the SM-Liiga and became the top goal scorer among defensemen, scoring 14 goals. He was also named to the championship's symbolic team. Immediately after this success, Maenpaa decided to go to North America, signing a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, he was unable to break into the NHL, and after playing 7 games with the Columbus Crunch, the Blue Jackets' farm team, he returned to Finland. On January 31, 2008, Mikko was loaned to Skellefteå, a Swedish club, until the end of the season. In the 2008/09 season, Maenpaa became the top goal scorer and assist leader among defensemen in the SM-Liiga, with 49 points (12+37) in 64 games. The following year, he won silver in the tournament and was once again named to the symbolic team. Before the start of the 2010/11 season, Mikko signed a contract with the Swedish team Frölunda, where he scored 18 points (8+10) in 46 games. After the season, there were rumors about Maenpaa's move to one of the KHL clubs, and the most persistent was Amur Khabarovsk, with whom he signed a contract on May 27, 2011. Mikko Maenpaa has represented the Finnish national team in the World Junior Championship in 2001, where he won bronze. At the senior level, he played in the 2010 World Championship. He is also regularly called up to the national team for Euro Hockey Tour stages. Maenpaa has won several accolades, including being a bronze medalist in the 2001 World Junior Championship, a silver medalist in the Finnish Championship in 2010, and a bronze medalist in the Finnish Championship in 2007. He has been named to the symbolic team of the Finnish Championship twice, in 2007 and 2010. Additionally, in 2007, Maenpaa was the top goal scorer among defensemen in the Finnish Championship, and in 2009, he was the top assist leader and goal scorer among defensemen in the league.