Ville Pokka

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Ville Pokka

| image = Ville Pokka.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| caption = Pokka in 2015

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1994|06|03}}

| birth_place = Tornio, Finland

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 187

| position = Defence

| shoots = Right

| league =

| team = Free Agent

| prospect_team =

| prospect_league =

| former_teams = Oulun Kärpät
Rockford IceHogs
Belleville Senators
Avangard Omsk
Färjestad BK
EHC Biel-Bienne
SC Bern

| ntl_team = FIN

| draft = 34th overall

| draft_year = 2012

| draft_team = New York Islanders

| career_start = 2010

| career_end =

}}

Ville Pokka (born 3 June 1994) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenseman, who is currently a free agent.

Playing career

Pokka played with Kärpät in the SM-Liiga during the 2010–11 season.{{cite web| url = http://www.eliteprospects.com/team.php?team=43&year0=2011&status=stats | publisher = Eliteprospects.com | title = Kärpät team statistics | date = 2011-04-15 | access-date = 2011-04-15}} He was drafted 23rd overall by Avangard Omsk in the 2012 KHL Junior Draft and 34th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

On 28 May 2014, Pokka was signed to a three-year entry-level contract with the Islanders.{{cite web| url = http://islanders.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=721014 | title = Pokka agrees to entry-level contract | publisher = New York Islanders | date = 2014-05-28 | access-date = 2014-05-28}}

Prior to the 2014–15 season, on 4 October 2014, Pokka was traded, along with T. J. Brennan and Anders Nilsson by the Islanders to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Nick Leddy and Kent Simpson.{{cite web| url = http://blackhawks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=732992 | title = Blackhawks acquire prospects from Islanders for Leddy | publisher = Chicago Blackhawks | date = 2014-10-04 | access-date = 2014-10-04}} He was then directly assigned to the Blackhawks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.{{cite web| url = https://www.nhl.com/news/new-york-islanders-acquire-d-nick-leddy-in-trade-with-chicago-blackhawks/c-732999 | title = Islanders acquire Nick Leddy in trade with Blackhawks | publisher = National Hockey League | date = 2014-10-04 | access-date = 2014-10-04}}

After three seasons with the organization (all of which were spent with the IceHogs), the Blackhawks re-signed Pokka to a one-year, $650,000 contract extension on 27 June 2017.{{cite web| url = https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/70937/2017/06/27/blackhawks-sign-defenseman-ville-pokka-to-one-year-deal/ | title = Blackhawks sign defenseman Ville Pokka to one-year deal | publisher = The Athletic | date = 2017-06-27 | access-date = 2017-06-27}}

In the 2017–18 season, Pokka was reassigned to the IceHogs. On 13 December 2017, Pokka was recalled by the Blackhawks. However, remained a healthy scratch before returning to Rockford on 18 December. After posting 22 points in 46 games, Pokka was traded by the Blackhawks to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Chris DiDomenico on 15 February 2018.{{cite web|title=Senators acquire defenceman Ville Pokka from Chicago for Chris DiDomenico|url=https://www.nhl.com/senators/news/senators-acquire-defenceman-ville-pokka-from-chicago-in-exchange-for-chris-didomenico/c-296004218|website= National Hockey League|access-date=February 16, 2018|date=February 15, 2018}} Pokka joined the Senators AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators, and continued to provide offense from the blueline with 3 goals and 11 points in 23 games to end the season.

As an impending restricted free agent with the Senators, Pokka opted to leave North America by agreeing to a one-year contract with his Russian KHL draft club, Avangard Omsk, on 8 May 2018.{{cite web| url = http://www.hawk.ru/news/30998/ | title = Finnish national defenseman Ville Pokka joins Avangard | publisher = Avangard Omsk | date = 2018-05-08 | access-date = 2018-05-08 | language = ru}}

In March 2022, Pokka left Avangard Omsk during the playoffs due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{cite web| url = https://www.is.fi/jaakiekko/art-2000008661927.html | title = Suomalaiskiekkoilijoiden joukkopako KHL:stä jatkuu – lähde: Pokka ja Kaski jättävät seuransa, myös Tuohimaa pois Venäjältä | work = Ilta-Sanomat | date = 5 March 2022 | accessdate = 5 March 2022 | language = Finnish}}{{cite web| url = https://www.hawk.ru/en/news/44635/ | title = Ville Pokka and Oliwer Kaski leave Avangard | publisher = Avangard Omsk | date = 5 March 2022 | accessdate = 5 March 2022}} As a free agent in the off-season, Pokka signed a one-year contract in moving to Sweden with Färjestad BK of the SHL, on 5 June 2022.{{cite web| url = https://www.farjestadbk.se/article/agfbal41f-23h01/dubbel-guldmedaljor-klar-for-farjestad-bk | publisher = Färjestad BK | date = 5 June 2022 | accessdate = 5 June 2022 | language = Swedish | title = Double gold medalist signs for Färjestad BK }}

In 2023, he signed with EHC Biel-Bienne of the NL before being loaned to SC Bern in December.{{Cite web |title=Pokka und Maurer zum SCB, Honka zu Servette |url=https://www.scb.ch/news/news/artikel/pokka-und-maurer-zum-scb-honka-zu-servette/ |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=SC Bern |language=de-CH}} In January 2024, he terminated his deal with Biel-Bienne and signed with Bern for the rest of the year.{{Cite web |title=Ville Pokka bleibt bis Saisonende in Bern |url=https://www.scb.ch/news/news/artikel/ville-pokka-bleibt-bis-saisonende-in-bern/ |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=SC Bern |language=de-CH}}

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em;"

style="background:#e0e0e0;"

! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! colspan="5" | Regular season

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! colspan="5" | Playoffs

style="background:#e0e0e0;"

! Season

! Team

! League

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

2009–10

| Kärpät

| FIN U18

| 20

| 0

| 5

| 10

| 5

| 0

| 4

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2010–11

| Kärpät

| FIN U18

| 3

| 0

| 2

| 0

| 9

| 0

| 7

| 8

2010–11

| Kärpät

| Jr.A

| 32

| 6

| 15

| 21

| 16

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2010–11

| Kärpät

| SM-l

| 2

| 0

| 2

| —

2010–11

| Kiekko–Laser

| Mestis

| 3

| 0

| 3

| 0

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2011–12

| Kärpät

| Jr. A

| 4

| 3

| 4

| 7

| 2

| —

2011–12

| Kärpät

| SM-l

| 35

| 0

| 3

| 12

| 9

| 0

| 3

| 2

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2012–13

| Kärpät

| Jr. A

| 3

| 0

| 4

| —

2012–13

| Kärpät

| SM-l

| 47

| 6

| 12

| 8

| 3

| 0

| 2

| 0

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2013–14

| Kärpät

| Liiga

| 54

| 6

| 21

| 27

| 16

| 2

| 9

| 11

| 10

2014–15

| Rockford IceHogs

| AHL

| 68

| 8

| 22

| 30

| 16

| 8

| 0

| 3

| 0

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2015–16

| Rockford IceHogs

| AHL

| 76

| 10

| 35

| 45

| 24

| 3

| 0

| 1

| 0

2016–17

| Rockford IceHogs

| AHL

| 76

| 6

| 24

| 30

| 35

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2017–18

| Rockford IceHogs

| AHL

| 46

| 4

| 18

| 22

| 20

| —

2017–18

| Belleville Senators

| AHL

| 23

| 3

| 8

| 11

| 8

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2018–19

| Avangard Omsk

| KHL

| 61

| 7

| 10

| 17

| 8

| 19

| 2

| 1

| 3

| 6

2019–20

| Avangard Omsk

| KHL

| 62

| 1

| 12

| 13

| 18

| 6

| 1

| 2

| 0

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2020–21

| Avangard Omsk

| KHL

| 31

| 4

| 9

| 13

| 8

| 24

| 1

| 4

| 5

| 10

2021–22

| Avangard Omsk

| KHL

| 39

| 3

| 8

| 11

| 16

| 2

| 0

| 1

| 2

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2022–23

| Färjestad BK

| SHL

| 49

| 4

| 18

| 22

| 45

| —

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" | Liiga totals

! 138

! 12

! 30

! 42

! 38

! 28

! 2

! 14

! 16

! 12

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" | KHL totals

! 193

! 15

! 39

! 54

! 50

! 51

! 4

! 7

! 11

! 18

{{MedalCountry | {{ih|Finland}} }}

=International=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:40em"

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Year

! Team

! Event

! Result

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

2011

| Finland

| U17

| 7th

| 5

| 1

| 0

| 1

| 4

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2011

| Finland

| WJC18

| 5th

| 6

| 0

| 2

2011

| Finland

| IH18

| 4th

| 5

| 2

| 3

| 5

| 2

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2012

| Finland

| WJC

| 4th

| 7

| 1

| 3

| 4

2012

| Finland

| WJC18

| 4th

| 7

| 1

| 5

| 6

| 4

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2013

| Finland

| WJC

| 7th

| 6

| 2

| 4

| 6

| 2

2014

| Finland

| WJC

| {{gold1}}

| 7

| 1

| 3

| 4

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2016

| Finland

| WC

| {{silver2}}

| 10

| 0

| 2

| 0

2016

| Finland

| WCH

| 8th

| 3

| 0

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2018

| Finland

| WC

| 5th

| 8

| 0

2021

| Finland

| WC

| {{silver2}}

| 10

| 0

| 2

| 4

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2022

| Finland

| OG

| {{gold1}}

| 6

| 1

| 2

| 3

| 0

2022

| Finland

| WC

| {{gold1}}

| 8

| 0

| 2

| 0

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="4" | Junior totals

! 43

! 8

! 18

! 26

! 22

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="4" | Senior totals

! 45

! 1

! 8

! 9

! 4

Awards and honors

class="wikitable"

! Award

! Year

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

| colspan="3" | Liiga

Matti Keinonen Trophy

| 2014

Kanada-malja (Oulun Kärpät)

| 2014

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

| colspan="3" | AHL

All-Rookie Team

| 2015

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

| colspan="3" | KHL

Gagarin Cup (Avangard Omsk)

| 2021

| {{cite web| url = https://en.khl.ru/news/2021/04/29/484702.html | title = Avangard is crowned 2021 Gagarin Cup Champions | publisher = Kontinental Hockey League | date = 29 April 2021 | accessdate = 29 April 2021 | language = Russian }}