Saara Niemi

Saara Elisa Niemi née Tuominen (born 1 January 1986) is a Finnish ice hockey coach and former player. She has served as head coach of IFK Helsinki in the Auroraliiga since 2018, and as an assistant coach to the Finnish national team since 2021. At the 2006 Torino Olympics, Tuominen competed for Finland. scoring one goal and four assists.^[1] She was an alternate captain for Finland's women's ice hockey team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver where the Finns won the bronze medal.

Saara Niemi
Niemi with the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs in 2010
Born	(1986-01-01) 1 January 1986 (age 39) Ylöjärvi, Finland
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight	65 kg (143 lb; 10 st 3 lb)
Position	Forward
Shot	Left
Played for	HIFK Helsinki Tampereen Ilves Minnesota Whitecaps Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs
Current coach	IFK Helsinki  Finland
Coached for	Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays Red Wings Helsinki
National team	Finland
Playing career	2004–2019
Coaching career	2015–present
Medal record Olympic Games 2010 Vancouver Team World Championships 2004 Canada 2008 China 2009 Finland Universiade 2011 Turkey

She graduated in 2010 from the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) and was a two-year captain of the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, the NCAA Division I national champions in 2008 and 2010. She was a 2009 and 2010 WCHA All-Academic Team member, a 2008 All-WCHA Third Team selection and a member of the 2007 All-WCHA Rookie Team.

Playing career

After graduation, she joined the Minnesota Whitecaps for their 2010–11 season. On 8 October, against former WCHA rival Minnesota Golden Gophers, Tuominen scored a goal.^[2] The following day, against former WCHA rival St. Cloud State, she scored a goal.^[3]

Career statistics

Event	Goals	Assists	Points	Shots	PIM	+/-
2010 Winter Olympics	0	1	1	1	12	−3

^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

Awards and honors

• 2006 Naisten SM-sarja Best Forward
• 2008 All-WCHA Third Team^[9]
• 2021 Naisten Liiga Coach of the Year^[10]
• 2023 Naisten Liiga Coach of the Year^[11]

Gallery

• 
  Saara Tuominen takes a face-off during a game against the University of New Hampshire at the DECC arena in Duluth, MN on Saturday, 13 March 2010.
• 
  Saara Tuominen in a game against the University of New Hampshire at the DECC arena in Duluth, MN on Saturday, 13 March 2010.
• 
  Saara Tuominen in a game against the University of Wisconsin Badgers at the DECC arena in Duluth, MN on Sunday, 17 January 2010.