Arto Javanainen

Arto Kalevi "Java" Javanainen (April 8, 1959 – January 25, 2011) was a Finnish professional ice hockey right wing. During his career, Javanainen represented Porin Ässät, his hometown team, as well as HC TPS in the SM-liiga. He was the first European draft pick in Pittsburgh Penguins history, but he only played 14 games with the team.

Javanainen has won two Finnish Championship and his jersey number, four, has been retired by the Porin Ässät. The Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame honored Javanainen as the Finnish Ice Hockey Lion number 121. Javanainen holds the goal record for the SM-liiga with 462 and the one season goals record with 47.

Career
Javanainen started his career in 1975 in the ranks of the Porin Ässät. In his first season in the SM-liiga, he played 27 games without any points. He played 29 U20 matches with Ässät scoring 13 points. The following season, Javanainen would play 34 games with nine goals and five assists. Javanainen also represented Finland in the World Junior Championships playing seven games and scoring six points. In the 1977–78 season, Javanainen played 35 regular season games scoring eight goals and eight assist as well as nine playoff games with nine points, also winning the Finnish Championship with Ässät.

In 1983, Javanainen was drafted 118 overall by the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). The following draft in 1984, he became the first European player to be drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.

In the 1984–85 season, Javanainen played 14 games for the Penguins scoring five points. He spent most of his time in the AHL with the Baltimore Skipjacks where he played 59 games with 55 points.

During the 1987–88 season with HC TPS, Javanainen would break the one season scoring record with 47 goals.

In the 1992–93 season, Javanainen broke the all-time point record for the SM-liiga, but the record has then been broken by Janne Ojanen. Javanainen retired in 1994 after a season in Denmark.

Overall Javanainen played 668 SM-liiga games with 462 goals and 330 assists totalling 792 points. Javanainen was the top goal scorer of the league five times and was chosen to the all-star lineup four times.

Personal life
On January 26, 2011, Javanainen died in a Turku, Finland hospital after battling a long illness. He was 51 years old. He is survived by a wife and two children. Javanainen's son, Tomas, played ice hockey for FPS, HC Indians and Chiefs, but retired in 2020. He also used to play for Ässät's junior teams.