| Veli-Pekka Ketola | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Born |
28 March 1948 Pori, Finland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 238 lb (108 kg; 17 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Karhut Ässät Winnipeg Jets Calgary Cowboys Colorado Rockies | ||
| Coached for |
Ässät Black Wings Linz | ||
| National team |
 Finland | ||
| Playing career | 1963–1983 | ||
| Coaching career | 1993–2004 | ||
Veli-Pekka Ketola (born 28 March 1948) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player and coach. He played 15 seasons in the top flight of ice hockey in Finland, 10 of which were with the Porin Ässät. Ketola retired from professional ice hockey in 1982 after his National Hockey League (NHL) debut season with the Colorado Rockies. Ketola also represented the World Hockey Association (WHA) teams Winnipeg Jets and the Calgary Cowboys.
Ketola's jersey number, 13, has been retired by the Porin Ässät and he is 4th in all-time point scoring for the club with 493 points. He was selected to the SM-sarja and SM-liiga all-star team six times in his career. The Liiga top-scorer award is named after Ketola. He won the Kanada-malja championship thrice in his career, twice with Ässät and once with Porin Karhut. Ketola is a one-time Avco Cup champion with the Winnipeg Jets. Internationally Ketola represented Finland. He played in the World Championship six times and the Olympics twice.
Ketola worked as Ässät's head coach from 1993 to 1996 and briefly in 1999. He is also the former general manager of the club. He worked for one season as the head coach of Black Wings Linz of the EBEL.
Veli-Pekka Ketola was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.