Linda Leppänen
| Linda Leppänen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Leppänen playing in an Ilves exhibition match in December 2022 | |||
| Born |
31 May 1990 Ylöjärvi, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||
| Weight | 69 kg (152 lb; 10 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Ylöjärven Ilves Espoo Blues Espoo United Tampereen Ilves | ||
| Coached for | Tampereen Ilves | ||
| National team | Finland | ||
| Playing career | 2002–2019 | ||
| Coaching career | 2020–2022 | ||
Linda Leppänen née Välimäki (born 31 May 1990) is a Finnish retired ice hockey forward and coach. Representing Finland, she won bronze medals at the Winter Olympic Games in 2010 and 2018 and at the IIHF Women's World Championships in 2015 and 2017, and a silver medal at the 2019 IIHF Women's World Championship. In total, she played 167 matches with the Finnish national team. Leppänen announced her retirement from top athletic competition several months after achieving her career highlight world championship silver medal.
Leppänen served as head coach of Ilves Tampere in the Naisten Liiga (NSML) during the 2020–21 and 2021–21 seasons. She resigned from the position in April 2022, motivated by a desire to spend more time with her three young children.