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Hannu Virta

International An All-Star at the 1981 European Junior Championships ... Won a bronze medal at the 1982 World Junior Championships ... Saw action in the 1987 Canada Cup, 1994 Lillehammer Olympics and six World Championships ... Tied Sweden's Anders Eldebrink as the top-scoring defensemen at the 1989 World Championships with eight points (three goals, five assists) ... Finnish National Team captain at the 1991 World Championships held in his hometown of Turku ... Bronze medal at the 1994 Olympics, gold at the 1995 World Championships and silver at the 1994 World Championships ... Played for the Finnish team at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and the 1997 World Championships.

Career Buffalo's second choice, 38th overall, in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft ... Joined the Sabres at the end of 1982-83 season for three games at the age of 19 ... He became a regular with the Sabres the next year ... Played in 245 NHL games, recording 25 goals and 101 assists for 126 points ... After spending four productive seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, returned to Finland in 1986 to serve his mandatory eight months of military service ... Began his hockey career with TPS Turku ... Four-time Finnish champion, all with TPS (1989, 1990, 1991 and 1993), was silver medalist twice, both with TPS, in 1982 and 1994) ... Long-time captain of TPS ... Named Rookie of the Year in the Finnish League in 1981-82 ... Named to the Finnish All-Star Team five times (1987, 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992) ... Named Finland's Best Defenseman in 1987, 1989, 1990 and 1991 ... European Champions Cup winner in 1993-94 ... In 1995-96, he played his second year with Grasshopper Zurich (along with Finland's Mika Nieminen) in the Swiss second Division.

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Career International Tournament Statistics
Year Tournament No. GP G A TP PIM
1997 Men's Senior World Championships -- Pool A 23 8 0 3 3 4
1996 European Hockey League 23 5 0 2 2 2
1996 Izvestia/Baltica Cup 23 2 0 1 1 0
1996 Men's Senior World Championships -- Pool A 23 6 0 6 6 4
1996 World Cup 23 4 1 0 1 6
1995 Men's Senior World Championships -- Pool A 23 7 1 1 2 8
1994 Izvestia/Baltica Cup 23 4 0 0 0 8
1994 Men's Senior World Championships -- Pool A 23 8 1 4 5 6
1994 Olympic Games -- Men's Hockey 23 8 2 1 3 2
1991 Men's Senior World Championships -- Pool A 23 7 0 2 2 4
1990 Izvestia/Baltica Cup 23 2 0 0 0 2
1989 Men's Senior World Championships -- Pool A 23 10 3 5 8 6
1987 Canada Cup 23 5 0 1 1 0
1987 Men's Senior World Championships -- Pool A 23 8 0 4 4 4
1986 Izvestia/Baltica Cup 23 4 0 0 0 0
1982 World Junior Championships -- Pool A 8 7 1 7 8 4
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