Finnish defender Juuso Hietanen confirmed his retirement from hockey at the age of 40, following a 20-plus year pro career spanned across Finland, Sweden, Russia and Switzerland, highlighted by being a backstop of Finland’s historic “Golden double” in 2022.

Coming up with his hometown HPK’s junior system, Hietanen debuted for the senior team in 2004, making his full-time debut in 2005, capturing the Liiga title in his first full season. After two full seasons in HPK Hietanen moved to the Elitserien, splitting four seasons in Sweden between Brynäs and HV71. Hietanen would make the jump to the KHL in 2011, spending four seasons in Nizhny Novgorod before another six with Dynamo Moscow, being named a two-time KHL All-Star (2014, 2020). Hietanen left Russia in 2021, first joining Ambrì-Piotta of the Swiss League for a season before his return to HPK in 2022, spending his final three pro seasons back where his career began two decades earlier.

A Hämeenlinna native, Hietanen made his debut for the Leijonat at the 2005 World Junior Championships, not playing for the senior club until 2009. Hietanen would make his World Championship debut that season, the first of eight (2009, 2012-17, 2022) appearances, capturing Silver in 2014 and 2016, and capping off his international career with Finland’s historic 2022 World Championship Gold medal on home ice in Helsinki. Hietanen would also appear at three straight Olympics (2014, 2018, 2022), capturing Bronze in Sochi and Gold in Beijing, as part of the historic Leijonat club that became just the second country to win Olympic and World Championship Gold in the same calendar year. Hietanen was also part of twelve Euro Hockey Tour cycles, winning the Tour in 2010 and 2014.

Over the course of his career, Heitanen would capture the IHLC thirteen times, first in 2009 on the Euro Hockey Tour, and lastly in the lead-up to the 2022 World Championship title. We wish Juuso and his family the very best for his retirement and the things to come!

Photo Credit: IIHF Worlds 2022 – IIHF – HHOF – IOC