Petri Pitkänen

Youth career

Pitkänen was a standout player at youth level for the JYP Jyväskylä under 16's and 18's, earning awards in the 2008–2009 season for Best Goals Against Average (GAA) and Best Save Percentage (SVS%) in the Jr. B 1 Divisioona over a three-year period between 2006 and 2009.

KeuPa HT

TBA

2012–13 Season

For the 2012–13 season, Petri tried out for the Hydraulic Oilers in the Finnish third division but chose to finish his time at the club after seven games when the opportunity arose for a tryout with second division, Mestis, club LeKi Lempäälä in December 2013. Petri signed a tryout control with LeKi but never made an appearance for the club and was released. After being unsuccessful with his trial he returned to familier territory and re-linked up with KeuPa HT in the Finnish third division, Suomi-sarja and went on to play eleven regular season and eight playoff matches at the back end of the season.

Loan to CBR Brave

31 March 2014, CBR Brave announced their first ever import signing with the acquisition of twenty-two-year-old Finnish goaltender Petri Pitkänen from Finnish third division champions KeuPa HT on loan. The move was made possible as the AIHL season fit into the Mestis off-season, Petri was looking to expand his horizons and get some regular time on the ice between the sticks and had this to say on signing:

I am excited to play for the Brave and experience the AIHL. It has been great seeing the work that everyone has put into saving the hockey culture in Canberra and creating the new team. I look forward to being a part of the young organization, CBR Brave, and helping out as much as I can.

It did not take long for Pitkänen to adjust to life in Australia with Brave captain Mark Rummukainen in particular praising the young twenty two year old goaltender.

He's kept us in every game this season and he's made an impressive start. If you have someone you're not very confident in back there, you play very different and more reserved, whereas now it's very comforting. He seems a bit quiet at times, but then he'll do something where he's the class clown, so he's a good guy

By mid May Petri was already being touted as one of the recruits of the Australian Ice Hockey League season and being labeled the backbone of the CBR Brave.

Pitkänen finished his inaugural regular AIHL season with him assisting the team to a third finish and qualifying for the AIHL Finals weekend and a shot at the Goodall Cup. Pitkänen had proven the early season promise correct with the second best league save percentage of .906 and 2.93 goals against average. For his efforts Petri was named CBR Brave Most Valuable Player (MVP), the top award that was given out at the maiden Brave Awards Presentation Night at the Woden Tradies Club, Phillip, ACT.

On 30 August 2014, Petri did however experience the disappointment of sudden-death elimination in the AIHL Finals held at Medibank Icehouse in Docklands, Victoria with a demolition 6–1 defeat at the hands of Melbourne Ice.

On 2 September 2014, not to be outdone, Petri ended his time in Australia on a high note with the young keeper named 2014 AIHL Goaltender of the season, with the description of:

In the first season of the CBR Brave, the team knew they would need a classy shot stopper to compete in the AIHL. Pitkänen may have finished third on save percentage and second on goals against average but it was the way that he held himself, often pulling off almost impossible saves and impressing teammates and opponents alike. The 22-year-old Fin was instrumental in helping the CBR Brave to the finals, a feat which had not been achieved by a team from Canberra in the history of the AIHL (the Canberra Knights were a foundation club and entered the competition in 2000, yet never made the finals).

Playing style

TBA

Personal

Pitkänen was born on 26 September 1991, in Jyväskylä, Finland. Petri is affectionately known as simply "Sonny" and he started skating and playing ice hockey from a very young age, around five, when he father would take him to outdoor ice rinks in the middle of winter in Finland.

Awards and honours

Personal

Club