Aino Karppinen Explained

Birth Date:7 August 1998
Birth Place:Rovaniemi, Finland
Height M:1.68
Weight Kg:68
Position:Defense
Shoots:Left
League:SDHL
Team:Skellefteå AIK
Sex:f
Ntl Team:FIN
Career Start:2013

Aino Karppinen (born 7 August 1997) is a Finnish ice hockey player and member of the Finnish national team. She plays in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) with Skellefteå AIK.[1]

Playing career

Karppinen developed in the youth department of Rovaniemen Kiekko (RoKi), an ice hockey club in her hometown of Rovaniemi. She debuted at the women's senior level with RoKi Naiset in the 2013–14 season of the Naisten Mestis, during which she played a total of six matches. Over the following seasons, she variously played with RoKi Naiset and the RoKi under-16 and under-18 men's teams. During the 2016–17 Naisten Mestis season, Karppinen served as RoKi Naiset's alternate captain.

In the 2018–19 season, she moved to Oulu to play with Kärpät Naiset of the Naisten Liiga. With Kärpät, she won Finnish Championship bronze in 2019 and the team qualified for the 2020 bronze medal game before the playoffs were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After RoKi Naiset gained promotion to the Naisten Liiga at the conclusion of the 2019–20 season, Karppinen returned to her home club for the 2020–21 Naisten Liiga season.[2] In addition to playing with RoKi Naiset, she also played 21 games with the RoKi U18 men's team in the 2020–21 U18 Mestis season.[3]

International play

Karppinen was a member of the Finnish national under-18 ice hockey team during the 2015–16 international season, which culminated with her participation in the 2016 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship. At the World U18 Championship, Karppinen was Finland’s highest scoring defenseman, recording three points (1+2) in five games.

At the senior level, Karppinen has appeared with the Finnish national team at various tournaments in the 2018–19 and 2019–20 international seasons, including three of the four tournaments comprising the 2019–20 Women's Euro Hockey Tour.[4] She participated in the national team training camp in preparation for the 2020 IIHF World Women's Championship but was not selected to the final roster. The 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship was her World Championship debut.[5] She was the first Rovaniemi-born product of the RoKi youth system and third woman from Finnish Lapland to be selected to the Finnish national team.[6]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

  Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2013–14RoKiN. Mestis6000090334
2014–15RoKiN. Mestis20002
2014–15RoKi U16U16 Suomi-sarja173588
2015–16RoKiN. Suomi-sarja21346
2015–16RoKiU16 Mestis261562
2016–17RoKiN. Mestis2917284530
2017–18RoKiN. Mestis2325224716
2017–18RoKi U18U18 Mestis21011D
2018–19KärpätNSML29661224700012
2019–20KärpätNSML30312153080114
2020–21RoKiNSML164592
2020–21RoKi U18U18 Mestis211126
2021–22RoKi U16U16 Mestis511011021230
2021–22RoKi U16U16 SM-sarja80222
2021–22RoKi U18U18 Mestis10000
2021–22Luleå (L)SDHL91340
2021–22RoKiNSML622414
SDHL32 5 6 11 224 1 4 5 0
SDHL36 5 6 11 63 0 0 0 2
U18 Mestis totals43 1 2 3 12
Naisten Liiga totals82 15 27 42 7015 0 1 1 16
SDHL totals77 11 15 26 283 0 0 0 2

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2016WC186th51232
2021WC20000
Finland WC 6th0
Senior totals2 0 0 0 0

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2021-06-01. Maajoukkuepakki Aino Karppinen jatkaa RoKissa. subscription. 2021-06-16. Lapin Kansa. fi.
  2. Web site: Torikka. Raimo. 2020-08-18. Historiallinen syksy Rovaniemen lätkäfaneille: kausi alkaa liigajääkiekolla ensimmäistä kertaa ikinä. 2021-04-08. Yle Uutiset. fi.
  3. Web site: 2020-05-18. Aino Karppinen palaa Kärpistä Liiga-RoKiin. subscription. 2021-04-08. Kaleva. fi.
  4. Web site: Kimmo. Siira. 2020-02-21. Aino Karppinen on Lapin lahja Suomi-kiekolle. subscription. 2021-04-08. Lapin Kansa. fi.
  5. Web site: Koivunen. Tommi. 2021-04-07. Naisleijonien MM-joukkue valittu – mukana kahdeksan ensikertalaista. 2021-04-08. Ilta-Sanomat. fi.
  6. Web site: Viinikka. Pekka. 2021-05-17. Lappilaiset naisleijonat saivat vain 10 minuuttia ennen matkalle lähtöä tiedon MM-kisojen peruuntumisesta: "Kyllä siinä itku tuli". 2021-06-16. Yle Uutiset. fi.