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Finnish League Scoring Leader Kai Nurminen First Veteran Signing For Wild; Maine Forward Brendan Walsh Second Black Bear To Sign With Minnesota
[May 17, 2000] --
Nurminen, 31 (3/29/1969), led the Finnish League this season in scoring with 78 points (41 goals, 27 assists) in 54 games for TPS Turku. The 6-foot-1,198-pound native of Turku, Finland also led the league in goals and +/- rating (+44), helping his team to the league's best record in the regular season (39-5-10). Nurminen went on to lead the league in playoff scoring and assists with 14 points (5 goals, 9 assists) in 10 games, en route to the Finnish League Championship.
"Nurminen was the MVP of the Finnish League this season," commented Risebrough. "He has NHL experience and possesses the type of speed and skill that we hope to build our team around."
Nurminen received five Finnish League regular season awards this season, including most valuable player, best plus-minus rating, best goal scorer, most overall points and the Finnish hockey journalist's selection as best Finnish League player. Originally the Los Angeles Kings 9th selection (193rd overall) in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, Nurminen played one season for the Kings. He scored 27 points (16 goals, 11 assists) in 67 games for the Kings in 1996-97.
Walsh, 25 (10/22/1974), was the Black Bears fourth-leading scorer with 30 points (9 goals, 21 assists) in 39 games and led the team in penalty minutes with 106 minutes, tying a single-season Maine record. The 5-foot-9, 181-pound forward transferred to the University of Maine after two seasons with Hockey East rival, Boston University. In two seasons with the Black Bears, Walsh scored 50 points (16 goals, 34 assists) in 69 games, bringing his career total to 87 points (29 goals, 58 assists) in 133 collegiate games. He joins Maine teammate Cory Larose as the second member of the Black Bears to sign with the Wild this month.
"Walsh is a tough competitor who was named captain of a top collegiate team and comes ready to play for every game," said Risebrough.
As a junior, the Dorchester, Mass. native helped his team defeat Boston College in the Frozen Four Semifinal, while playing on a fractured kneecap. The knee injury kept the junior forward out of the 1999 National Championship victory against New Hampshire. After only one season with the Black Bears, the physical forward was elected as a team captain and responded with seven multiple point games, while his trademark physical play led the team to a 27-8-5 record and a NCAA semifinal appearance during the 1999-2000 campaign.
Walsh and Nurminen are expected to report to the Wild training camp in early September.
The Wild have sold more than 13,800 season tickets to date and begin play in the Northwest Division of the NHL's Western Conference this October. For more information on the Minnesota Wild please call 651-222-WILD (9453).
Kai Nurminen Career Statistics
Season Team League GP G A PTS PIM
89-90 TPS Turku Finn-Jr. 22 13 10 23 14
90-91 TuTo Turku Finland-2 33 26 20 46 14
91-92 Kiekko-67 Finland-2 44 44 19 63 34
92-93 TPS Turku Finland 31 4 6 10 13
Kiekko-67 Finland-2 8 6 4 10 13
93-94 TPS Turku Finland 45 23 12 35 20
94-95 HPK Hameelinna Finland 49 30 25 55 40
95-96 HV Jonkoping Sweden 40 31 24 55 30
96-97 Los Angeles NHL 67 16 11 27 22
97-98 V. Frolunda Sweden 23 9 7 16 24
Jokerit Finland 20 7 9 16 30
98-99 HC Davos Switz. 42 26 14 40 26
99-00 TPS Turku Finland 54 41 36 78 40
NHL TOTALS 67 16 11 27 22
Brendan Walsh Career Collegiate Statistics
Season Team League GP G A PTS PIM
95-96 Boston Univ HEA 38 8 16 24 90
96-97 Boston Univ HEA 27 5 8 13 83
97-98 DNP - TRANFERRED -- -- -- -- --
98-99 U of Maine HEA 30 7 13 20 58
99-00 U of Maine HEA 39 9 21 30 106
TOTALS 133 29 58 87 337