Draft Status and Early Years
Although Berg had developed into a solid regular NHL defenceman, he nonetheless failed to shed his underachiever tag after entering the NHL in 1995–96 from Finland. As a teenager playing for TPS in the Finnish SM-liiga, Berg was thought to be a cannot miss prospect. Thus, while he turned into a nice complementary player at the NHL level, he nonetheless failed to have the impact that was expected of him. Some analysts feel that, had Berg been given time to refine his offensive game in Finland, as well as some minor technical aspects, he would have become an impact NHL defenceman. He was traded from Los Angeles to Toronto on March 13, 2001 for Adam Mair and a 2nd round draft pick (later used to select Mike Cammalleri) as the Leafs wished for an injection of youth into a rapidly aging roster. In April 2006, after the Leafs failed to make the playoffs, Berg signed with TPS and returned to his native Finland. Aki-Petteri Berg is also known by the nickname: "GOD" and "the King" since 1995.
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