Former NHL Player Officially Charged with Fraud
Former Sabres and Canucks goaltender Mika Noronen has been charged with Fraud in his home country of Finland. The goalie has certainly fallen off since retiring from the NHL in 2006.
Noronen was drafted in the 1st round of the 1997 NHL draft, going 21st overall to the Buffalo Sabres. He would go on to have a short career in the NHL before returning to Europe to play out the remainder of his career. He spent parts of five seasons with the Sabres before they traded him to the Vancouver Canucks during the 2005-06 season. Noronen played just four games for the Canucks that season before calling it quits in North America.
In total, Noronen appeared in 71 NHL games, putting up a 23-32-6-3 record along with a 2.68 goals-against-average and a .901 save percentage. He returned to Europe for the 2006-07 season which he spent in the Russian top pro league. This was before the KHL was created. After a couple of years in Russia he would return to Finland where he had a long career, finally retiring from the sport for good after the 2015-16 season.
After his career in Hockey Ended, Noronen apparently fell on hard times as he struggled with his transition back to ordinary life. Apparently his struggles have continued as he now faces charges for aggravated tax fraud from the Finish Government.
Noronen could face up to four years in a Finish detention facility for his crimes. Ironically, that would just about equal the time he spend in the NHL. He was once a highly touted goalie with many thinking he would be one of the best in the world in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, things did not work out that way for him.
Source: Markerzone NewsRetired NHLer Officially Facing Charges of Fraud
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5 AVRIL | 54 ANSWERS Former NHL Player Officially Charged with Fraud Do you remember Mika Noronen's playing days in the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 7 | 13 % |
| No | 47 | 87 % |
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