Mika Noronen was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres 21st overall in 1997. He played 71 regular season games in the NHL, almost all of them with the Sabres. In 2006,
the Vancouver Canucks traded with Buffalo for the goaltender, as well as three defencemen. Noronen played four games with the Canucks before returning to Europe to play. Over the next several seasons, Noronen suited up in Russia, Finland, Germany, and Sweden, before retiring from professional hockey in 2016.