Mika Alatalo débuted at the Finnish Championships in 1988, playing with KooKoo. In 1990 he moved to Rauman Lukko and played with them until 1994, when he moved to TPS. With TPS, Alatalo won his first Finnish title in 1995 and after a short spell in Sweden, where he played with Luleå HF from 1996-98, he won his second Finnish title with TPS in 1999. Although Alatalo had been drafted by the NHL in 1990 as the 203rd pick of the Winnipeg Jets, he did not join an NHL team until 1999 when he started to play with the Phoenix Coyotes – the former Jets. Alatalo played two seasons in the NHL and returned to TPS in 2001, playing with them until 2007. Alatalo finished his career by playing with HC Thurgau in Switserland in 2007-08 and then with Herlev Hornets in Denmark in 2008-09. Internationally, Alatalo played with the Finnish National team at the 1994 Olympics, where he won a bronze medal and at the 1993, 1994 and 1998 World Championships, winning silvers in 1994 and 1998. After finishing his sporting career, Alatalo worked as an ice hockey coach with TPS, coaching their junior team from 2009-11 and since 2011 has been assistant coach of their senior team.
Finland