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Old 01-12-2009, 02:13 PM   #96
tvp2003
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Before this draft, I had never heard of Pekka either; here is some more info: http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/...p?player=14079

Quote:
The Flames saw him as the defensive equivalent to Kent Nilsson, a skilled European puck wizard. The defenseman gave every sign of fulfilling that promise. His thirty points and +22 in 1979-80 were respectable in both areas. The hockey tactician had taken his rookie NHL year as a chance to get used to the closer quarters and hard hitting. The results paid off with a second season effort of 56 points and a further 6 in the playoff, as Calgary stopped just short of the Finals.

Rautakallio had his best personal season in North American in 1981-82. His 17 goals and 51 assists left him a dozen points better than his previous best. Pekka was also named as to the All-Star squad, the first Finn to be named to the mid-season classic. At the end of the season Rautakallio decided to leave the NHL behind. He found that his children were loosing touch with their language and his oldest was at risk of not being accepted to the academic program in the Finnish school system. "It made me feel happy to know I made it in the NHL. I don' t feel I had anything to prove after last season. Everything I would have done in the future would have been a plus," said Rautakallio. Pekka Rautakallio played five seasons with HIFK Helsinki before winding up his playing career with HC Rapperswil in Switzerland.
I wonder how good he could have been had he stayed...
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