Dinamo Riga has signed 34-year-old Finnish forward Ville Nieminen until the completion of the 2011/2012 season.

The experienced Nieminen will be a welcome addition to a Dinamo Riga lineup currently missing four of their frontline forwards to injuries.

Nieminen was drafted into the NHL by the Colorado Avalanche in 1997, being picked up 78^th overall. First appearing for the Avalanche in the 1999/2000 season, Nieminen went on to play 385 NHL regular season games and a further 58 playoff games for seven different teams across 11 seasons, lifting the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2001.

The Finn returned to play in Europe in 2007/2008 and last season experienced his first taste of KHL action, appearing in 53 regular season and four playoff games for Dinamo Riga rivals, Sibir Novosibirsk. During the regular season Nieminen picked up 12 goals and 35 assists before adding a further goal and assist post-season.

Nieminen also has an Olympic medal to his name, having been a member of Finland’s silver medal winning hockey team at the 2004 winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.