Antero Ansikorpi
| Position | Defense |
| Shoots | Left |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in |
| Weight | 230 lb |
| Species | Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) |
| NHL Team | Louisiana IceGators |
| Nationality | FIN |
| Born | October 29, 1985, Kangasala, FIN |
| NHL Draft | 131st overall, 2004 Chicago Blackhawks |
| Pro career | 2004 – present |
Antero Pirkka Ansikorpi (born October 29, 1985 in Kangasala, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Louisiana IceGators of the National Hockey League, and currently serves as the team captain. He is well known for his aggressive style of play at both ends of the ice. On defense, Antero plays a physical style and has garnered a reputation for being one of the hardest-hitting players in the NHL, whereas his hard slapshot, keen vision and hockey instinct makes him a threat on the offensive end. As of February 15th, Antero is second among NHL defensemen with 18 goals scored and leads the NHL in points by a defenseman with 52.
Contents
Childhood and Junior Hockey
Antero is the fourth of five children born to Kalevi and Kaija Ansikorpi; brothers Jarno(30), Teppo(29), Erkka(27), and Jaska(20), and sister Leila(24). Like a lot of young Finnish pups, Antero was on skates at an early age, first taking to the ice at age 2 like his older brothers and sisters. In his early days, he admired Esa Tikkanen for his tough, determined style of play; he took the number 10 to emulate his idol. At age 7, a serious car accident would leave Antero with a broken leg and three broken ribs, costing him a year of development on the ice. His injuries were the most severe of the seven in their van, with Kaija being the only other one with any broken bones as she broke her hand.
Starting out in his early stages, Antero played forward in the Tappara developmental program, where he showed promise. When he was moved to defense at age 12, he was initially unhappy with the decision that was made, but he continued on and quickly developed into one of the premier junior defensemen in Finland. In 2002, at the age of 16, Antero received an invitation to play for Team Finland in the Junior World Championship in the Czech Republic. This was the first chance that he had to show the world his ability alongside players like Mikko Koivu, Tuomo Ruutu and Kari Lehtonen. Even at a young age, Antero was integral in helping Finland win the bronze medal, scoring a goal and registering 3 assists in the seven games played. He would help Finland win bronze medals the following two years, the second after netting the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic on home soil in Helsinki.
Early Career
NHL Career
2007-08 Season: Rise to Elite Status and the Stanley Cup
Personal Life
When not on the ice, Antero likes to play the drums in his free time. As a teenager growing up in Finland, he started playing the drums with the aspirations of starting a band with older brothers Teppo and Erkka. However, his abilities would become noticed by Marco Tomasson and Katti Kapanen of the heavy metal band Eternal Winter, and offered him an invitation to the band at the age of 19. But Antero turned it down in order to pursue his other dream of playing professional hockey, to which Kapanen, a lifelong Tappara fan, said in an interview with Metal Edge magazine, "I always thought Antero looked better wearing a hockey sweater and having one stick in his hands. So I told him that I would be his biggest fan if he ever made it to an elite level. And he has, and I am proud to be associated with him."
Antero is currently engaged to Aurora Leppälä, his high school sweetheart, who moved in after he signed his contract extention. They live together in Magnolia Bend, Louisiana, and have plans to get married after the completion of the 2008-09 season.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1999–00 | Regina Pats | WHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1999–00 | Prince George Cougars | WHL | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 149 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2000–01 | Prince George Cougars | WHL | 61 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 245 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 31 | ||
| 2001–02 | Prince George Cougars | WHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2001–02 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 46 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 178 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2002–03 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 27 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 65 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2002–03 | Louisiana IceGators | ECHL | 33 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 240 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | Houston Aeros | AHL | 53 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 207 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16 | ||
| 2004–05 | Houston Aeros | AHL | 56 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 259 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | ||
| 2005–06 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 65 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 158 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2006–07 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 48 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 120 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 20 | ||
| 2007–08 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | ||
| NHL totals | 147 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 352 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 44 | ||||
