While representing his country, the native of Vantaa, Finland played for a medal in his next three international appearances after the 2002 IIHF Under-18 World Championship. The forward twice finished third at the IIHF World Junior Championship (2003, 2004), won a bronze medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, two years after winning the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008.
Though Filppula has rarely been the focal point on his teams, he's been an ideal complementary player who has filled various roles: scoring-line center, checking-line forward, penalty-killer defensive-zone face-offs and quarterbacking the power play.
While representing his country, the native of Vantaa, Finland played for a medal in his next three international appearances after the 2002 IIHF Under-18 World Championship. The forward twice finished third at the IIHF World Junior Championship (2003, 2004), won a bronze medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, two years after winning the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008.
Though Filppula has rarely been the focal point on his teams, he's been an ideal complementary player who has filled various roles: scoring-line center, checking-line forward, penalty-killer defensive-zone face-offs and quarterbacking the power play.
A third-round selection (No. 95) by Detroit in the 2002 NHL Draft, Filppula became a regular with the Red Wings during the 2006-07 season and signed a five-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 5, 2013. Prior to Filppula's arrival, Tampa Bay made the Stanley Cup Playoffs once since 2007. The Lightning reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2015, his third Cup Final appearance, and the Eastern Conference Final in 2016.
Filppula was traded by the Lightning to the Philadelphia Flyers on March 1, 2017 and named an alternate captain with defenseman Andrew MacDonald before the 2017-18 season. He signed a one-year contract with the New York Islanders on July 1, 2018 and scored 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) while playing all forward positions and helping the Islanders advance to the Eastern Conference Second Round.
He returned to the Red Wings after signing a two-year contract July 1, 2019 and became the eighth Finland-born player to reach 1,000 NHL games in a 1-0 loss to the New York Rangers at Little Caesars Arena on Feb. 1, 2020.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Signed as a free agent by Jokerit Helsinki (Finland), September 21, 2012.
- Signed as a free agent by Tampa Bay, July 5, 2013.
- Traded to Philadelphia by Tampa Bay with Tampa Bay's 4th round pick (Maksim Sushko) in 2017 NHL Draft and Los Angeles' 7th round pick (previously acqured, Philadelphia selected Wyatt Kalynuk) in 2017 NHL Draft for Mark Streit, March 1, 2017.
- Signed as a free agent by NY Islanders, July 1, 2018.
- Signed as a free agent by Detroit, July 1, 2019.
