Stanley Cup Champion Ville Nieminen started his professional hockey career with Tappara in the Finnish SM-liiga, in the 1994–95 season.

Notably, he was a part of the Colorado Avalanche 2001 Stanley Cup winning team, putting up 10 points and 20 PIM in their playoff run.

[2] After a single season Nieminen returned to his native land signing with his original club Tappara of the SM-liiga.

On June 16, 2010, Nieminen signed a one-year contract with Russian team, HC Sibir Novosibirsk, of the KHL.

[4] During the 2011–12 season, Nieminen remained unsettled, and moved twice in stints with Dinamo Riga and Örebro HK of the HockeyAllsvenskan.