1969 NHL Amateur Draft Pick
Tommi Salmelainen
Selected by
St. Louis from Helsinki IFK (Finland SM-Sarja)
6-foot-2, 180 pounds
Left-hand shot
Left Wing
Pre-Draft Statistics
| 1966-67 |
Karhu-Kissat |
Fin.2 |
13 |
7 |
3 |
10 |
10 |
| 1967-68 | Helsinki IFK |
Sarja |
18 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
8 |
| 1968-69 |
Helsinki IFK |
Sarja |
22 |
8 |
2 |
10 |
14 |
Pre-Draft Notes
Won Finland championship with Helsinki IFK in 1969.
Finnish • Born
February 1, 1949 in Helsinki, Finland • Hometown: Helsinki, Finland
NEVER PLAYED IN NHL
After the Draft
- First European-trained player and
first Finnish player ever drafted
by NHL team.
- Played one season of North American
pro
hockey in Kansas City before returning to Europe for the next 12 seasons from 1970 to 1981.
-
Played for Finnish team that placed fourth at 1971 World
Championships in Switzerland.
- Won Finland
SM-Liiga championship with Helsinki IFK in 1979-80.
Miscellaneous
Also Known as: Tom Salmelainen
Post-Draft Teams: Kansas City (CHL); Helsinki IFK (Finland);
Feldkirch (Austria); Rosenheim (West Germany)
Making History: Before being
drafted by St. Louis, Salmelainen had played with former NHL star Carl
Brewer in Helsinki. Brewer saw him as a legitimate NHL prospect who
played a Canadian style of hockey. Brewer went so far as to bring
Salmelainen back to Toronto after the 1968-69 season so that he could
adapt to North America and begin learning English. At the time they made
history by taking him, the Blues were confident they could negotiate his
release from Helsinki IFK.
Career Beyond Hockey: Became
active in Finnish sports management after his retirement and became a
board member of Helsinki IFK sports club.
Family: Father of former NHL
player Tony Salmelainen and European professional player Tobias
Salmelainen.
| Total Selected: |
84 |
| Forwards: |
58 |
| Defense: |
18 |
| Goaltenders: |
8 |
| Major Junior: |
68 |
| College Players: |
8 |
| Canadian: |
78 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
1 |
| American: |
4 |
| European: |
1 |
| Reached NHL: |
49 |
| Won Stanley Cup: |
10 |
| Hall of Fame: |
1 |
| All-Star Game: |
7 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
1 |
| Olympians: |
2 |
| Picks Traded: |
11 |
