Kalevi Numminen was the first truly modern coach in Finnish hockey. He coached club team Tappara Tampere in total of ten seasons winning three national titles, three silver medals, and one bronze medal. Additionally, he coached the Finnish national team in 161 games with a record of 51 wins, 30 ties and 50 losses including five IIHF World Championships, one Olympic Games (Lake Placid 1980), and the 1981 Canada Cup.

Numminen began his ice hockey career as a defenceman for Tappara, a club he represented during his entire career of 201 games, scoring 81 points and recording 211 minutes in penalties. He won three gold medals, two silver, and one bronze in his 12-year career and received All Star Team nominations twice.

Numminen played 143 games with the Finnish national team, scoring 32 points, and represented Finland in seven IIHF World Championships and two Olympic Winter Games.

Numminen was inducted into the Finnish Hall of Fame in 1986, and the Coach of the Year award in the Finnish Hockey League is named after him. Numminens number 2 sweater is retired in Hakametsa Arena by Tappara, and he is the father of Teppo Numminen, a 20-season veteran of the NHL whose own number 27 was retired by the Phoenix Coyotes in January 2010.