Raimo Helminen

Did you know that Finland's Raimo Helminen has played in more Olympics than any other hockey player?

In 2002 at the Salt Lake games Helminen became the first hockey player - and just the sixth Olympian overall - to compete in six different Olympic games.

Helminen first competed in the Olympics in 1984 in Sarajevo. He also represented Finland at the 1988 games in Calgary, 1992 games in Albertville, 1994 games in Lillehammer, and 1998 games in Nagano.

He won a silver medal in Calgary and back-to-back bronze medals in Lillehammer and Nagano.

Helminen was 38 years old when he played in Salt Lake. He continued to play hockey until the age of 43, retiring in 2008. He did not make the Finnish Olympic team that won silver in 2006.

Helminen played 16 years of pro hockey in Finland, with another 6 in Sweden and parts of 3 in the NHL. But it was his international career that people will remember best.

Helminen played in 330 IIHF sanctioned matches over 19 years, the most of any player from any nation. In addition to the three Olympic medals, he won six at the World Championships - gold in 1995, silver in 1994, 1998, 1999 and 2001 and bronze in 2000. He also participated in two Canada Cups/World Cups.

A great playmaker who briefly played with the New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars and New York Islanders, many in Finland mention Helminen's name alongside the likes of Jari Kurri and Teemu Selanne when debating the greatest Finnish hockey player of all time.

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International Hockey Legends

Austria Dr. Blake Watson Canada Hank Akervall Roger Bourbonnais Connie Broden Sean Burke Jack Cameron Frank Frederickson Chris Fridfinnson Wayne Gretzky Paul Henderson Mario Lemieux Eric Lindros Barry MacKenzie Seth Martin Mark Messier Dunc Munro Hugh Plaxton Beattie Ramsay Darryl Sly Harry Watson Czech Republic Jiri Bubla Jaroslav Drobny Jiri Dudacek Miroslav Dvorak Vladimir Dzurilla Dominik Hasek Milos Holan Jiri Holecek Jaroslav Holik Jiri Holik Martin Hostak Jiri Hrdina Jaroslav Jirik Vladimir Martinec Bohumil Modry Jiri Novak Milan Novy Jan Peka Robert Reichel Bohuslav Stastny Jan Suchy Frantisek Tikal Vladimir Zabrodsky Finland Matti Hagman Aarne Honkavaara Erkki Laine Pekka Rautakallio France Philippe Bozon Germany Rudi Ball Karl Friesen Gustav Jaenecke Udo Kiessling Erich Kuhnhackl Robert Mueller Great Britain Jimmy Foster Tony Hand Chick Zimick Hungary Attila Ambrus Italy Mike Rosati Norway Anders Myrvold Bjorne Skaare Petter Thoresen Poland Wieslaw Jobczyk

Russia Venjamin Alexandrov Alexander Almetov Vyacheslav Anisin Yevgeny Babich Evgeny Belosheikin Yuri Blinov Vsevolod Bobrov Alexander Bodunov Vyacheslav Bykov Nikolai Drozdetsky Viacheslav Fetisov Anatoli Firsov Edward Ivanov Alexei Guryshev Valeri Kharlamov Viktor Khatulev Vladimir Krutov Viktor Kuzkin Igor Larionov Konstantin Loktev Sergei Makarov Alexander Maltsev Boris Mikhailov Victor Nechaev Vladimir Petrov Sergei Priakhin Alexander Ragulin Anatoli Semenov Sergei Shepelev Alexander Sidelnikov Nikolai Sologubov Vladislav Tretiak Valeri Vasiliev Slovakia Jozef Golonka Ladislav Trojak Sweden Anders Eldebrink Leif Holmqvist Tumba Johansson Jorgen Jonsson Kenny Jonsson Mats Naslund Carl-Goran Oberg Borje Salming Ulf Sterner Lennart Svedberg Einar Svensson Switzerland Paul Dipietro Pauli Jaks Richard "Bibi" Torriani USA Tony Amonte Dave Christian Bill Cleary Bob Cleary Jim Craig Mike Eruzione Moose Goheen Steve Janaszak Mark Johnson Ray Leblanc John Mayasich Jack McCartan Winthrop "Ding" Palmer David Quinn Mike Richter Scott Young

Bob Cleary

The Cleary Brothers - Bob and Bill

While older brother Bill is considered to be one of America's great hockey pioneers, Bob Cleary too was a hockey star in his own right.

Bob was one of the great college players to come out of the East in the post World War II era.

First he played three varsity seasons at Belmont Hill prep school, he led his team to three consecutive Massachusetts private school titles. At the same time he played with Cusick, winning the American national junior championship in 1952, 1953 and 1954.

Upon graduation from high school Bob joined his brother Bill at Harvard. Bob enjoyed three memorable seasons at Harvard, scoring 202 points including 100 goals, twice leading the nation in scoring. Bob, who was coached at Harvard by none other than Boston Bruins Hall of Famer Ralph "Cooney" Weiland, also captained the baseball team.

The Clearys became key members of American international efforts in hockey, too. They were key members of the 1959 United States National Team which finished fourth in the World Tournament at Prague. In 1960 they were late addition to the 1960 Olympic Team, joining former Harvard linemate Bob McVey to form one of the upstart Americans most effective lines. Bill led the Americans in scoring while Bob finished third, with five goals and three assists. The Americans shocked the world by winning Olympic gold on home ice in Squaw Valley, California.

Bob Cleary was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981, 5 years after his brother received the same honor.