Teemu Pulkkinen is leaving Finland

Ice hockey player Teemu Pulkkinen33, the return to the domestic rinks was short.

Kiekko-Vantaa informs that the striker’s contract with the club has ended and his career will continue abroad.

Pulkkinen’s contract included a clause that allowed him to be transferred abroad when a suitable opportunity arose, and now it has come true.

– Teemu brought significant added value to Kiekko-Vantaa athletically and by example on and off the field. His influence was visible in the performance of the entire team and the enthusiasm of the community, Kiekko-Vantaa’s board chairman Ansi Aura commented in the club’s press release.

– We wish Teemu luck and success towards brighter arenas.

Pulkkinen himself warmly thanked the Vantaa club for the opportunity.

– I am really grateful for the opportunity to return to the Finnish hockey map through Kiekko-Vantaa. The club, teammates and the whole community treated me excellently from start to finish. This experience reignited the spark, and I’m looking forward to the next challenges.

To Germany’s second tier?

Pulkkinen joined Kiekko-Vantaa in August 2025 to strengthen the team and seek a new boost in his career. He had time to play eight Mestis matches with an output of 7+1=8 and leads the league in goals.

German Ice hockey news reported over the weekend that Starbulls Rosenheim, who play in Germany’s second tier, would be interested in acquiring Pulkkinen.

The Finnish forward has been in the headlines in recent years, as he was the only Finn left to play in the KHL after the 2021-2022 season, when Russia expanded its war of aggression in Ukraine.

Mestis club Kiekko-Vantaa received a lot of feedback when they hired Pulkkinen. Among other things, several of the club’s sponsors canceled their contracts with the club after Pulkkinen’s hiring.

For example, the Eteläpääty ry of Pulkkinen’s ex-club Jokerien supporters’ association also violently boycotted the striker’s salary.