Product Code Database
Hannu Markus Virta (born March 22, 1963, in Turku, Finland) is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman. He was named the best defenceman in the SM-liiga four times, and was a five-time all-star. He also won the Jarmo Wasama memorial trophy as rookie of the year in 1981–82.
He returned to the SM-liiga in Finland in 1986, where he played for TPS Turku until 1994, as well as in 1996–97. He helped his team win the league championship three consecutive years beginning in 1988–89. In 461 league games, he scored 68 goals and 213 assists for 281 points. He also played in Switzerland, in the Swiss B League with the GCK Lions from 1994 to 1996 and in the Swiss A League with the ZSC Lions in 1997–98.
Internationally, Virta won a bronze medal at the Under-20 World Junior Championships in 1982. As an adult, he won a bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics playing for Finland's national ice hockey team. He played at seven IIHF World Championships, winning gold in 1995 and silver in 1994, and leading the tournament in assists in 1996. He also played in the 1987 Canada Cup and 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
Virta's number 23 was retired by TPS Turku.
| 1978–79 | HC TPS | FIN U18 | 22 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1979–80 | TPS | FIN U20 | 26 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 1980–81 | TPS | FIN U20 | 29 | 22 | 22 | 44 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980–81 | TPS | SM-liiga | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1981–82 | TPS | SM-l | 36 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 1981–82 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1982–83 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 74 | 13 | 24 | 37 | 18 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 1983–84 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 70 | 6 | 30 | 36 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1984–85 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 51 | 1 | 23 | 24 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 47 | 5 | 23 | 28 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986–87 | TPS | SM-l | 41 | 13 | 30 | 43 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 1987–88 | TPS | SM-l | 44 | 10 | 28 | 38 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1988–89 | TPS | SM-l | 43 | 7 | 25 | 32 | 30 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 0 |
| 1989–90 | TPS | SM-l | 41 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| 1990–91 | TPS | SM-l | 43 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 40 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| 1991–92 | TPS | SM-l | 43 | 6 | 22 | 28 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 1992–93 | TPS | SM-l | 39 | 1 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 14 |
| 1993–94 | TPS | SM-l | 47 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 1994–95 | GCK Lions | CHE.2 | 36 | 12 | 18 | 30 | 14 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 2 |
| 1995–96 | GCK Lions | CHE.2 | 35 | 12 | 26 | 38 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| 1996–97 | TPS | SM-l | 48 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 24 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 1997–98 | ZSC Lions | NDA | 46 | 4 | 25 | 29 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981 | Finland | EJC | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1982 | Finland | WJC | 7 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 4 |
| 1987 | Finland | WC | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 1987 | Finland | Canada Cup | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1989 | Finland | WC | 10 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 |
| 1991 | Finland | WC | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 1994 | Finland | OLY | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 1994 | Finland | WC | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 1995 | Finland | WC | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 1996 | Finland | WC | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| 1996 | Finland | WCH | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 1997 | Finland | WC | 8 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
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