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Nelli Laitinen

{{Short description|Finnish ice hockey player}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox ice hockey biography

| image =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|4|29|df=y}}

| birth_place = Lohja, Finland

| height_m = 1.69

| weight_kg = 62

| position = Defense

| shoots = Left

| league = NCAA

| team = Minnesota Golden Gophers

| former_teams = Kiekko-Espoo
KJT Kerava

| sex = f

| ntl_team = FIN

| career_start = 2017

| career_end =

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}

{{MedalBronze|2022 Beijing|Ice hockey}}

{{MedalCompetition|World Championship}}

{{MedalSilver|2019 Finland|}}

{{MedalBronze|2021 Canada|}}

{{MedalBronze|2024 United States|}}

{{MedalBronze|2025 Czechia|}}

}}

Nelli Laitinen (born 29 April 2002) is a Finnish ice hockey player and member of the Finnish national team. She {{Update after|2025|4|1||reason=End of season|text=is serving}} as a captain of the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program during the 2024–25 season.

Playing career

Laitinen began her college ice hockey career with the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) conference of the NCAA Division I as an incoming freshman for the 2022–23 season.{{Cite web |date=17 January 2022 |title=Gophers Add Laitinen to 2022–23 Signing Class |url=https://gophersports.com/news/2022/1/17/womens-hockey-gophers-add-laitinen-to-2022-23-signing-class.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121173202/https://gophersports.com/news/2022/1/17/womens-hockey-gophers-add-laitinen-to-2022-23-signing-class.aspx |archive-date=21 January 2022 |access-date=21 January 2022 |website=University of Minnesota Athletics |language=en}} Despite missing eight games due to an upper-body injury that kept her sidelined for two months, she tallied 18 points and ranked third for points of all team defenseman.{{Cite web |last=Schoenberg |first=Eitan |date=20 January 2023 |title=UMN women's hockey climbs to top of WCHA |url=https://mndaily.com/275065/sports/umn-womens-hockey-climbs-to-top-of-wcha/ |access-date=16 April 2023 |website=The Minnesota Daily}} Her impressive first season was recognized with her selection to the Watch List for the Hockey Commissioners Association National Rookie of the Year and naming to the USCHO All-Rookie and the WCHA All-Rookie teams.{{Cite web |last=Aykroyd |first=Lucas |date=7 March 2023 |title=Laitinen's star on the rise |url=https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2023/ww/news/42389/laitinen_s_star_on_the_rise |access-date=16 April 2023 |website=International Ice Hockey Federation |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Randy |date=23 February 2023 |title=Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle of Gophers named first-team All-WCHA |url=https://www.startribune.com/taylor-heise-grace-zumwinkle-of-gophers-named-first-team-all-wcha/600253854/ |access-date=16 April 2023 |website=Star Tribune}}

International play

As a junior player with the Finnish national under-18 team, she participated in the IIHF U18 Women's World Championships in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.{{Cite book |title=IIHF Guide & Record Book 2020 |publisher=Moydart |year=2019 |isbn=9780986796470 |editor-last=Podnieks |editor-first=Andrew |location=Toronto |pages=653 |language=en |chapter=Active Skaters, Women |editor-last2=Nordmark |editor-first2=Birger}}

Laitinen made her senior national team debut at the 2018 4 Nations Cup in Saskatoon, Canada, where she contributed one assist in four games to Finland's bronze medal victory.{{Cite web |last=Viljanen |first=Markus |date=29 October 2018 |title=Naisleijonat vahvalla joukkueella 4 Nations Cupiin – mukana myös useampi 2000-luvulla syntynyt lupaus |trans-title=Naisleijonat has a strong team for the 4 Nations Cup – included several promising [players] born in the 21st century |url=https://www.jatkoaika.com/Uutiset/Naisleijonat-vahvalla-joukkueella-4-Nations-Cupiin-mukana-my%C3%B6s-useampi-2000-luvulla-syntynyt-lupaus/206462 |access-date=28 March 2022 |website=Jatkoaika.com |language=fi |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207123555/https://www.jatkoaika.com/Uutiset/Naisleijonat-vahvalla-joukkueella-4-Nations-Cupiin-mukana-my%C3%B6s-useampi-2000-luvulla-syntynyt-lupaus/206462 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=10 November 2018 |title=2018 4 Nations Cup – Player Stats – Players (Points) |url=https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/team-canada/women/national/2018-19/4-nations/stats/player-stats |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131121607/https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/team-canada/women/national/2018-19/4-nations/stats/player-stats |archive-date=31 January 2021 |access-date=28 March 2022 |website=Hockey Canada |language=en-ca}} Later that season, she represented Finland at the 2019 IIHF Women's World Championship.{{Cite web |date=25 March 2019 |title=Naisleijonien MM-joukkue yhtä vaille valmis – Kisojen alkuun kymmenen päivää |trans-title=Naisleijonat World Championship team is ready – Ten days to the start of the tournament |url=http://www.leijonat.fi/index.php/maajoukkueet/naisleijonat/2018-19/mm2019/item/31483-naisleijonien-mm-joukkue-yhta-vaille-valmis-kisojen-alkuun-kymmenen-paivaa |access-date=28 March 2022 |website=leijonat.fi |publisher=Finnish Ice Hockey Association |archive-date=18 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518050420/https://leijonat.fi/index.php/maajoukkueet/naisleijonat/2018-19/mm2019/item/31483-naisleijonien-mm-joukkue-yhta-vaille-valmis-kisojen-alkuun-kymmenen-paivaa |url-status=live }} At sixteen years old, she was the youngest player on the team and 29 years younger than Finland's eldest player, Riikka Sallinen.{{Cite web |last=Martela |first=Ille |date=5 April 2019 |title=16-vuotias Nelli Laitinen on ottanut paikkansa Naisleijonissa |trans-title=16-year-old Nelli Laitinen has taken her place with the Naisleijonat |url=https://www.jatkoaika.com/Haastattelu/16-vuotias-Nelli-Laitinen-on-ottanut-paikkansa-Naisleijonissa/210333 |access-date=28 March 2022 |website=Jatkoaika.com |language=fi |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207123555/https://www.jatkoaika.com/Haastattelu/16-vuotias-Nelli-Laitinen-on-ottanut-paikkansa-Naisleijonissa/210333 |url-status=live }} She recorded one assist in seven games as Finland won the first World Championship silver medal in team history.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=5 April 2019 |title=2019 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship – Team Roster: FIN – Finland |url=http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/510/IHW5100FIN_33_2_0_FIN.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406150348/http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/510/IHW5100FIN_33_2_0_FIN.pdf |archive-date=6 April 2019 |access-date=4 January 2020 |website=stats.iihf.com |publisher=International Ice Hockey Federation }}

She won bronze medals representing Finland at the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship and in the women's ice hockey tournament at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.{{Cite web |title=Beijing 2022 – Althetes: Nelli LAITINEN, Ice Hockey |url=https://olympics.com/beijing-2022/olympic-games/en/results/ice-hockey/athlete-profile-n1005539-nelli-laitinen.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313114932/https://olympics.com/beijing-2022/olympic-games/en/results/ice-hockey/athlete-profile-n1005539-nelli-laitinen.htm |archive-date=13 March 2022 |access-date=28 March 2022 |website=Olympics.com}}

At the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship, she notched 3 goals and 7 assists in seven games, ranking third on the team points table in a tie with forwards Noora Tulus and Viivi Vainikka, each scoring 10 points. Her totals ranked second of all Finnish defensemen, trailing captain Jenni Hiirikoski by just 1 assist.

Personal life

Laitinen's older brother, Villi (born 1999), is a professional ice hockey defenseman in the Finnish Liiga. When she joined the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the jersey number 9, which she had worn in her career to that point, was already in use and she selected 7 as her new number because her brother had worn it in the past.{{Cite web |last=Schoenberg |first=Eitan |date=6 February 2023 |title=9 to 7, Finland to Minnesota: Nelli Laitinen speaks on changes in hockey career |url=https://mndaily.com/275252/sports/9-to-7-finland-to-minnesota-nelli-laitinen-speaks-on-changes-in-hockey-career/ |access-date=16 April 2023 |website=The Minnesota Daily}}

At a pre-Olympic press conference in January 2022, she confirmed that she was in a relationship with NHL player Jesperi Kotkaniemi.{{Cite web |last=Palojärvi |first=Otto |date=25 January 2022 |title=Naisleijonien suurlupaus pahoillaan NHL-poikaystävänsä puolesta |url=https://sportti.com/uutinen.asp?CAT=2-4&ID=456400 |access-date=28 March 2022 |website=Sportti.com |language=fi |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207123555/https://sportti.com/uutinen.asp?CAT=2-4&ID=456400 |url-status=live }}

Her major at the University of Minnesota is in business and marketing. Swedish national team player Josefin Bouveng was one of her four roommates during her first year at the university.{{Cite web |last=Huttunen |first=Sasha |date=6 April 2023 |title=Nelli Laitinen muutti 20-vuotiaana Yhdysvaltoihin – perillä odotti iso shokki: "Ihan sama, oletko nainen vai mies" |url=https://www.is.fi/jaakiekko/art-2000009498476.html |access-date=16 April 2023 |website=Ilta-Sanomat |language=fi}}

Career statistics

= Regular season and playoffs =

{{small|Naisten SM-sarja (NSMs) was rebranded as Naisten Liiga (NSML) in 2017 and Auroraliiga in 2024. Espoo Blues renamed as Kiekko-Espoo in 2019.}}

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" width="90%" style="text-align:center"

! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | 

! rowspan="96" bgcolor="#ffffff" | 

! colspan="5" |Regular season

! rowspan="96" bgcolor="#ffffff" | 

! colspan="5" |Playoffs

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

!Season

!Team

!League

!GP

!G

!A

!Pts

!PIM

!GP

!G

!A

!Pts

!PIM

2016–17

|HAKI

|N. Mestis

|8

|4

|2

|6

|0

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2016–17

|HAKI

|N. Suomi-sarja

|2

|2

|0

|2

|0

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

2016–17

|KJT (L)

|NSMs

|1

|0

|0

|0

|0

|4

|0

|0

|0

|2

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2017–18

|HAKI U16

|U16 Mestis

|18

|3

|8

|11

|0

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

2017–18

|Espoo Blues

|NSML

|11

|2

|1

|3

|0

|10

|1

|4

|5

|2

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2017–18

|KJT (L)

|NSML

|3

|0

|0

|0

|0

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

2018–19

|Espoo Blues

|NSML

|27

|12

|27

|39

|6

|6

|0

|5

|5

|0

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2019–20

|Kiekko-Espoo

|NSML

|28

|7

|24

|31

|12

|6

|6

|8

|14

|6

2020–21

|Kiekko-Espoo

|NSML

|24

|13

|24

|37

|20

|10

|1

|6

|7

|6

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2021–22

| Kiekko-Espoo

| NSML

| 23

| 7

| 24

| 31

| 16

| 10

| 8

| 13

| 21

| 8

2022–23Minnesota Golden GophersNCAA

| 30

315184

| –

–––—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2023–24

Minnesota Golden GophersNCAA

| 39

6172310

| –

–––—
bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" |Naisten Liiga totals

! 117 !! 41 !! 100 !! 141 !! 54

! 42 !! 16 !! 36 !! 52 !! 22

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" |NCAA totals

! 69 !! 9 !! 32 !! 41 !! 14

! – !! – !! – !! – !! –

{{small|Note: Postseason results for the 2016–17 season are from the qualification series ({{Langx|fi|Karsintasarja}}) rather than the playoffs and are not calculated with playoff totals.
Sources: Elite Prospects,{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Player Profile: Nelli Laitinen |url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/476170/nelli-laitinen |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405182148/https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/476170/nelli-laitinen |archive-date=5 April 2022 |access-date=16 April 2023 |website=Elite Prospects |language=en}} Finnish Ice Hockey Association{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Pelaajakortti: Nelli Laitinen |url=http://www.leijonat.fi/index.php/pelaajat?lkq=689772363185488513991570 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207123555/http://www.leijonat.fi/index.php/pelaajat?lkq=689772363185488513991570 |archive-date=7 February 2023 |access-date=28 March 2022 |website=leijonat.fi |publisher=Finnish Ice Hockey Association |language=fi-fi }}}}

=International=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:40em"
ALIGN="centre" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Year

! Team

! Event

! Result

! rowspan="98" bgcolor="#ffffff" |  

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

2017

| Finland

| U18

| 5th

| 5

| 0

| 1

| 1

| 4

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2018

| U18

| U18

| 5th

| 5

| 0

| 4

| 4

| 0

2019

| Finland

| U18

| {{Bronze3}}

| 6

| 1

| 3

| 4

| 3

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2019

| {{Nwiht|Finland}}

| WC

| {{Silver2}}

| 7

| 0

| 1

| 1

| 2

2020

| Finland

| U18

| 4th

| 6

| 3

| 1

| 4

| 2

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2021

| Finland

| WC

| {{Bronze3}}

| 7

| 1

| 0

| 1

| 4

2022

| Finland

| OG

| {{Bronze3}}

| 7

| 2

| 5

| 7

| 4

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2022

| Finland

| WC

| 6th

| 7

| 1

| 4

| 5

| 6

2023FinlandWC5th

| 7

37102
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2024

FinlandWC{{Bronze3}}

| 7

1344
2025FinlandWC{{Bronze3}}

| 7

0330
align="centre" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="4" | Junior totals

! 22 !! 4 !! 9 !! 13 !! 10

align="centre" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="4" | Senior totals

! 49 !! 8 !! 23 !! 31 !! 22

{{small|Sources: Finnish Ice Hockey Association, International Ice Hockey Federation{{cite web |title=2023 IIHF Women's World Championship – Player Statistics by Team: FIN – Finland |url=https://www.iihf.com/pdf/498/ihw4980fin_83_7_0 |website=International Ice Hockey Federation |access-date=16 April 2023 |language=en |date=16 April 2023}}}}

Honors and achievements

class="wikitable"
scope="col" style="width:20em" |Award

! scope="col" style="width:12em" |Period

colspan="2" style="text-align:center; color:white; background:#002f6c" |International
World U18 Top-3 Player on Team

| 2018, 2019, 2020

World U18 All-Star Team

| 2019

World U18 Bronze Medal

| 2019

World U18 Best Defenseman

| 2020

World Championship Silver Medal

| 2019

World Championship Bronze Medal

| 2021, 2024, 2025

Olympic Bronze Medal

| 2022

World Championship Top-3 Player on Team

| 2024{{cite web |title=2024 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship – Best Players of Each Team Selected by Coaches |url=https://www.iihf.com/pdf/667/ihw667000_85l_7_0 |website=International Ice Hockey Federation |access-date=16 April 2024 |language=en |date=13 April 2024}}

colspan="2" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Minnesota Golden Gophers|color=white}};" |Minnesota Golden Gophers
USCHO All-Rookie Team

| 2022–23{{Cite web |last=Haase |first=Nicole |date=31 March 2023 |title=Women's Division I College Hockey: 2022–23 All-USCHO Teams |url=https://www.uscho.com/2023/03/31/2223-all-uscho-teams/ |access-date=16 April 2023 |website=U.S. College Hockey Online |language=en-us}}

WCHA All-Conference Rookie Team

| 2022–23{{Cite web |date=23 February 2023 |title=2022–23 All-WCHA Teams Announced |url=https://wcha.com/news/2023/2/22/general-2022-23-all-wcha-teams-announced.aspx |access-date=16 April 2023 |website=Western Collegiate Hockey Association |language=en |type=Press release}}

National Rookie of the Year Watch List

| 2022–23{{Cite web |date=2 February 2023 |title=Hockey Commissioners Association Releases National Women's Rookie of the Year 'Watch List' |url=https://hockeycommissioners.com/articles/20222023/hockey-commissioners-association-releases-national-womens-rookie-of-the-year-watch-list.php |access-date=16 April 2023 |website=Hockey Commissioners Association |language=en |type=Press release}}

WCHA Defender of the Week

| 23–29 October 2023{{cite web |title=Sterling Trophy WCHA Players of the Week announced for Oct. 23–29 |url=https://wcha.com/news/2023/10/30/hockey-sterling-trophy-wcha-players-of-the-week-announced-for-oct-23-29.aspx |website=Western Collegiate Hockey Association |access-date=7 December 2023 |language=en |date=30 October 2023 |type=Press release}}

WCHA All-Conference Second Team

| 2023–24{{cite news |last1=Kennedy |first1=Ian |title=USA National Team Stars Highlight WCHA All-Star Teams |url=https://thehockeynews.com/womens/college/usa-national-team-stars-highlight-wcha-all-star-teams |access-date=4 March 2024 |work=The Hockey News |date=29 February 2024 |language=en}}

colspan="2" |Naisten Liiga
All-Star First Team

| 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

Aurora Borealis Cup Champion

| 2019, 2021, 2022

Päivi Halonen Award (Best Defenseman)

| 2020, 2021, 2022

U18 Student Athlete

| 2020

Player of the Month

| October 2020

Karoliina Rantamäki Award (Playoff MVP)

| 2022

Sources:{{Cite journal|last1=Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto|url=http://www.jaakiekkokirja.fi/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/J%C3%A4%C3%A4kiekkokirja-2019-20-1.pdf|title=Jääkiekkokirja 2019–2020|last2=Liiga|journal=Jääkiekkokirja|publisher=Uusi Suomi/Kiekkolehti|editor-last=Aaltonen|editor-first=Juha|publication-place=Helsinki|pages=554|language=fi|issn=0784-3321|oclc=476321083|author-link=Finnish Ice Hockey Association|author-link2=Liiga|access-date=13 November 2020|archive-date=17 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617055939/http://www.jaakiekkokirja.fi/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/J%C3%A4%C3%A4kiekkokirja-2019-20-1.pdf|url-status=live}}{{Cite journal|last1=Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto|url=https://www.jaakiekkokirja.fi/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Jaakiekkokirja-2020-21_2.pdf|title=Jääkiekkokirja 2021: Suomen Jääkiekkoliiton ja Liiga Kausijulkaisu 2020–2021|last2=Jääkiekkon SM-liiga Oy|journal=Jääkiekkokirja|publisher=Uusi Suomi/Kiekkolehti|year=2020|editor-last=Aaltonen|editor-first=Juha|publication-place=Helsinki|pages=528|language=fi|issn=0784-3321|author-link=Finnish Ice Hockey Association|author-link2=Liiga|access-date=13 November 2020|archive-date=5 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205220433/https://www.jaakiekkokirja.fi/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Jaakiekkokirja-2020-21_2.pdf|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Mennander|first=Pasi|date=15 March 2021|title=Naisten Liigan kauden 2020–21 palkitut pelaajat ja tähtikentät|url=http://www.leijonat.fi/index.php/sarjat/naisten-liiga/kausi-2020-21/item/40913-naisten-liigan-kauden-2020-21-palkitut-pelaajat-ja-taehtikentaet#d925cbed|access-date=16 March 2021|website=Finnish Ice Hockey Association|language=fi-fi|archive-date=3 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303042055/http://www.leijonat.fi/index.php/sarjat/naisten-liiga/kausi-2020-21/item/40913-naisten-liigan-kauden-2020-21-palkitut-pelaajat-ja-taehtikentaet#d925cbed|url-status=live}}

See also

References

  • {{Cite web |last=Aykroyd |first=Lucas |date=7 March 2023 |title=Laitinen's star on the rise |url=https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2023/ww/news/42389/laitinen_s_star_on_the_rise |access-date=16 April 2023 |website=International Ice Hockey Federation |language=en}}

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{icehockeystats}}
  • {{Olympedia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laitinen, Nelli}}

Category:2002 births

Category:Living people

Category:Espoo Blues Naiset players

Category:Finnish expatriate ice hockey players in the United States

Category:Finnish women's ice hockey defencemen

Category:Ice hockey people from Uusimaa

Category:Ice hockey players at the 2022 Winter Olympics

Category:Kiekko-Espoo Naiset players

Category:Medalists at the 2022 Winter Olympics

Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey players

Category:Naisten Liiga All-Stars

Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Finland

Category:Olympic ice hockey players for Finland

Category:Olympic medalists in ice hockey

Category:Sportspeople from Lohja

Category:21st-century Finnish sportswomen