Linna was a member of Finland's under-18 team at the 1989 European championships and continued to make a name for himself in his home country. He received a scholarship to
Boston University in 1991 and was part of the increased influx of European players into college hockey following the
collapse of the Soviet Union. Linna was a top defenseman for the Terriers almost from the start, being named an All-American as a sophomore and helping BU reach the first of five consecutive Frozen Fours. While his offensive production dipped as a junior, he picked up the pace in the postseason and got the Terriers to make an appearance in the championship game. For his final season with BU, Linna's offense returned to normal and he was named to the All-American squad for a second time. He pushed the Terriers to a second consecutive
Hockey East championship and then helped the team win the
1995 NCAA Championship, assisting on the game-winning goal in the final match. Due to a new
CBA for the
NHL in 1995, Linna was eligible to be drafted despite being 24 at the time. With a very successful college career on his resume, he was taken by the
Ottawa Senators in the 8th round. He then began his professional career in Ottawa's farm system leading the defense in scoring. After the season he decided to return home and played for
HIFK for two years. In 1998 he helped HIFK win the league championship without losing a single game in the postseason. He capped off the year by winning a silver medal with the
Finnish National Team at the
World Championships. Linna returned to
North America the following year for a second attempt at reaching the NHL. He played 11 games for the
Milwaukee Admirals before suffering a neck injury that ended his career. ==Career statistics==