A former NHLer who played close to 750 regular season games in the league has been found guilty of tax fraud. Janne Niinimaa, 48, was sentenced in court today in Finland.
Niinimaa was found guilty of not paying close to 55,000 Euros in taxes in 2020. That's around $60,000 USD. The money has since been paid. He received a four-month suspended prison sentence, which means he can stay out of jail as long as he doesn't break any of the terms of his probation.
Niinimaa's lawyer tried to convince the court that his client was not aware that he had to pay taxes in Finland on money that was made in the United States. However, the court rejected that claim, saying Niinimaa had done so in previous years, but for some reason decided not to in 2020. Niinimaa also tried to argue that health issues prevented him from filing his taxes properly. That argument was also rejected by the court. In addition to paying what he owed in taxes, there were late fees, as well as a small fine to cover court costs.
Niinimaa was drafted into the NHL by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1993, and spent two seasons with the team before moving on to the Edmonton Oilers. Niinimaa also suited up for the New York Islanders, Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens during his time in the league. The defenceman scored 54 goals and 319 points in 741 NHL games. Niinimaa also participated in 59 NHL playoff games, netting 3 goals and 24 points.
