Retired Finnish professional ice hockey player Jere Lehtinen played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League. Lehtinen was originally drafted by the Minnesota North Stars, but never played for them, moving with the team and serving all of his 14 seasons with the Dallas Stars. During his career, Lehtinen was selected twice to play in the NHL All-Star Game and also won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward three times.http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=10930 Only three other players have won the Selke Trophy three times or more, Bob Gainey, Guy Carbonneau and Pavel Datsyuk.http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2010/12/08/16481741.html

After not playing the first portion of the 2010-11 season, Lehtinen decided to retire as a player from the National Hockey League. He was 37 years old at the time of the announcement, which was made on December 8, 2010. In his statement, Lehtinen thanked the Dallas Stars and general manager Joe Nieuwendyk for allowing him time to make what he described as a "tough decision" to retire.http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2010/12/08/16481741.html Lehtinen leaves the NHL with 243 goals and 271 assists in 875 regular-season games. He also added 27 goals and 22 assists between 108 playoff games.http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=10930

Lehtinen was originally drafted 88th overall in the 1992 NHL Draft by the Minnesota North Stars. He continued with the TPS of the SM-liiga, or Finnish Elite League, for several seasons after the draft. In 1994, he won the bronze medal with Team Finland in the Winter Olympics. The following season Lehtinen made his NHL debut with the Dallas Stars, who relocated from Minnesota in 1993. In 1998, Lehtinen was selected for his first of two NHL All-Star Game appearances as well as his first of three Selke Trophies for the best defensive forward in the league. Also in 1998, Lehtinen returned to the Olympics, winning a bronze medal. The next season he helped the Stars win the 1999 Stanley Cup Championship over the Buffalo Sabres. Lehtinen returned to the Olympics for a silver medal in 2006 and a bronze medal in 2010.http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=10930