Unto Wiitala

Finnish hockey goaltender Unto Wiitala played the majority of his career with Helsinki’s Karhu-Kissat of SM-liiga, the Finnish Elite League, appearing for them from 1946 through 1957. He spent his final two years with Hämeenlinnan Tarmo, before retiring after the 1958-1959 season. Internationally, he represented Finland in five editions of the World Championships (1949, 1951, 1954, 1955, and 1957), as well as the 1952 Oslo Olympics, where his nation finished seventh overall after winning two and losing six of their eight matches. Wiitala appeared in all eight games at that tournament. In total, he made 81 appearances for Finland and was named the county’s best player on three occasions (1949, 1954, and 1956). He was invited to try out for the Detroit Red Wings in the 1950s, but declined, wanting to maintain his amateur status.

Following the conclusion of his competitive career, he became an acclaimed national and international referee, winning the award for SM-liiga’s best referee four times (1972-1975) and eventually having the award for best referee in Finland named after him in 1995. His international refereeing career included three World Championships (1961, 1965, and 1974) and two editions of the Winter Olympics (1964 and 1972). He also managed the Finnish national team in 1976 and was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985 and the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.