Jere Karalahti
| Position | Defence |
| Shoots | Right |
| Height Weight |
ft in
( m) 209 lb (95 kg) |
| SM-liiga Team F. Teams |
Kärpät HIFK Los Angeles Kings (NHL) Nashville Predators (NHL) |
| Nationality |  Finland |
| Born | March 25 1975 , Helsinki, FIN |
| NHL Draft | 146th overall, 1993 Los Angeles Kings |
| Pro Career | 1993 – present |
Jere Karalahti (born March 25, 1975, in Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings as their sixth-round pick in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing Style
Karalahti is known from his toughguy image. Karalahti also has a strong Slapshot which gave him some fame during the 1999 World Ice Hockey Championships. Overall Karalahti is a good physical defenseman with average offensive skills.
Early career in Finland
Karalahti played his first major Ice Hockey games for HIFK during the 1993-94 SM-liiga season. Karalahti was soon seen as a good physical defenseman and he started to have bigger minutes season by season. Karalahti's best SM-liiga moment's came in 1998 when HIFK won the SM-liiga championship over Ilves. Karalahti played a good season posting career high in points (30pts). Karalahti improved his record by 3 points in the following season and was offered a contract by NHL club Los Angeles Kings.
NHL
Karalahti was transferred to North America in 1999 after difficulties with his visa, playing the rest of the season for the LA Kings. After a good first season, Karalahti's time on ice was reduced and he eventually requested a trade to the Nashville Predators, which he got in 2001. In the summer of 2002 Karalahti was suspended for six months by the NHL for a drug violation, and he returned to Finland.
Return to Finland and HIFK
Upon returning to the SM-liiga, Karalahti has resumed his role as one of HIFK's premier defensemen. Head coach Doug Shedden made Karalahti team captain for the 2005-06 season, but he lost most of the season due to injuries. At the close of the season, Karalahti stirred up controversy by refusing to play in the bronze medal game for the second time in his HIFK career, citing disinterest. He was subsequently stripped of his captaincy. Karalahti's contract was not renewed by HIFK and Karalahti left the club he had been representing his entire Ice Hockey career in Finland.
New Beginning in Oulu
Karalahti was apporached by several European Ice Hockey teams including Jokerit and Kölner Haie but Karalahti chose Oulun Kärpät, a Northern Finland team which had radiply risen to the Finnish Ice Hockey Elite. During his debut season Karalahti has returned to his own level as the leading Defenseman of Kärpät.
Substance abuse
In a January 21, 2002 interview for Sports Illustrated Karalahti detailed his history of drug use, which included an arrest in 1996 for possession of various quantities of marijuana, amphetamines and heroin that resulted in a brief suspension by the SM-liiga. He told the magazine that he had been drug-free for five years. Nevertheless, on August 16 of that year, the NHL suspended him for six months by the for his third violation of the league's substance abuse policy. However, this time the reason behind violation was alcohol, not drugs. Following the suspension, Karalahti returned to Finland.
His NHL suspension resulted in him being unable to compete in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
For the 07-08 season, Karalahti has made a contract with Oulu Kärpät, the current SM-liiga champion. This is the first time he plays in any other Finnish team than his home team Helsinki IFK. It has been speculated that he attempts a NHL comeback, and this in mind has set very strict contract with Kärpät that allows no drug abuse, including regular check-up with the team doctor.
Career statistics
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1993-94 | HIFK | SM-l | 46 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 36 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1994-95 | HIFK | SM-l | 37 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 42 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1995-96 | HIFK | SM-l | 36 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 102 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1996-97 | HIFK | SM-l | 18 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 20 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1997-98 | HIFK | SM-l | 43 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 59 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 1998-99 | HIFK | SM-l | 49 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 65 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 1999-00 | HIFK | SM-l | 13 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 55 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1999-00 | Long Beach Ice Dogs | IHL | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1999-00 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 48 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2000-01 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 56 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 38 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 2001-02 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 30 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 29 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2001-02 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 15 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2003-04 | HIFK | SM-l | 45 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 148 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | ||
| 2004-05 | HIFK | SM-l | 42 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 93 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2005-06 | HIFK | SM-l | 20 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 43 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2006-07 | HIFK | SM-l | 51 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 132 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 27 | ||
| NHL Totals | 149 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 97 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 20 | ||||
International play
Karalahti has played for the Finnish national ice hockey team in several occasions.
International statistics
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Finland | WC | 12 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
| 2000 | Finland | WC | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 2002 | Finland | WC | 9 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 2004 | Finland | WC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2005 | Finland | WC | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
External links
- Jatkoaika.com player profile (in Finnish)
- Career Stats
- Jere Karalahti at nhlfinns.com
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