Kai Haaskivi

Kai Haaskivi


Full Name: Kai Olavi Haaskivi
Year Inducted: 2013
Position: Midfielder
Born: 12/28/1955 Lahti, Finland
Height: 5'10" Weight: 185
Teams: Houston Summit (1978-80), Edmonton Drillers (1980-82), Cleveland Force (1982-88), Baltimore Blast (1988-89), Cleveland Crunch (1989-92)
Championships: 1 (1980-81)

Strong to the Finnish

Kai Haaskivi was a Finnish international player who made his indoor debut during the inaugural Major Indoor Soccer League season and retired after the league's final season. Haaskivi finished 5th all-time in points (683) in the MISL, 2nd in assists (386), and tied for 9th in goals (297). He also played two indoor seasons in the North American Soccer League, winning the 1980-81 league MVP award while leading the Edmonton Drillers to a league title.

Haaskivi was named to the MISL's All-Decade Team in 1988 and was a four-time All-MISL 1st Team player, and a seven-time All-Star.

A member of the Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame, Kai is best remembered for his time with the Cleveland Force, for whom he played six seasons. When indoor soccer returned to Cleveland in 1989, Haaskivi was tapped to lead the Crunch as a player/coach, playing three more seasons for the city. Haaskivi was inducted into the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame in 2013.

In his outdoor career he had 29 caps with the Finnish National Team, scoring seven goals.

Career

Regular Season







YearLgTeamGPGAPtsPIMBL
1978-79MISLHouston Summit22392564100
1979-80MISLHouston Summit27513687200
1980-81NASLEdmonton Drillers18344377100
1981-82NASLEdmonton Drillers1826315700
1982-83MISLCleveland Force463846841017
1983-84MISLCleveland Force463651872037
1984-85MISLCleveland Force34192847822
1985-86MISLCleveland Force27162541813
1986-87MISLCleveland Force493455891227
1987-88MISLCleveland Force39153853643
1988-89MISLBaltimore Blast481234461844
1989-90MISLCleveland Crunch421821392718
1990-91MISLCleveland Crunch188162427
1991-92MISLCleveland Crunch2791120211
 14 seasons
 461355460815153239
Playoffs







YearLgTeamGPGAPtsPIMBL
1978-79MISLHouston Summit111200
1979-80MISLHouston Summit341520
1982-83MISLCleveland Force86111780
1983-84MISLCleveland Force7831181
1984-85MISLCleveland Force94141800
1985-86MISLCleveland Force9571267
1986-87MISLCleveland Force10671385
1987-88MISLCleveland Force1361319818
1988-89MISLBaltimore Blast133811213
1991-92MISLCleveland Crunch614548
 10 playoffs
 7944691134652

Awards

Most Valuable PlayerAll-League TeamAll-Star
1980-81 NASL1978-79 1st Team MISL1979-80 MISL

1979-80 1st Team MISL1982-83 MISL
Championship Most Valuable Player 
1980-81 Northern NASL1983-84 MISL
1980-81 NASL1981-82 Pacific Conference NASL1984-85 MISL

1982-83 2nd Team MISL1986-87 MISL
All-Star Game Most Valuable Player 
1983-84 1st Team MISL1987-88 MISL
1986-87 MISL1986-87 1st Team MISL1989-90 MISL



MISL All-Decade TeamMISL Pass Master
1978-881986-87

They Said It

“Kai Haaskivi is one of the most elegant players you’d ever want to see. The way he moves around out there, so quietly and in control of everything, you would think he thinks this game ought to be played in tuxedos.” -- Ron Newman, San Diego Sockers coach

“As far as a team leader goes, nobody in this league matches him. He sees everybody on the field, and it seems like he knows what he’s going to do three steps before even the other players on his team do.” -- Kevin Crow, San Diego Sockers defender