Kai Ortio (born 23 September 1965) is a Finnish retired ice hockey player and the current head coach of Turun Palloseura (TPS) Akatemia U16, a junior ice hockey team in the U16 Mestis. During his playing career, he played two seasons in the SM-liiga, appearing with HC TPS in 45 games during the 1987âÂÂ88 and 1988âÂÂ89 seasons and registering three points (0 goals+3 assists) and 22 penalty minutes.
Ortio developed in the minor and junior ice hockey systems of Turun Toverit (TuTo or TUTO) in his hometown of Turku. At age 19, he made his professional debut with the club's representative team, TuTo Hockey, in the 1984âÂÂ85 I-Divisioona season.
Ortio went on to play the entirety of his fourteen season professional career in Finland, playing ten seasons in the second-tier I-divisioona and two seasons in the third-tier II-divisioona, in addition to his two seasons with TPS Turku in the SM-liiga. Eight of his seasons in the I-divisioona were spent with TuTo and, during the 1996âÂÂ97 and 1997âÂÂ98 seasons, his last active seasons before retirement, he served as the team's captain. The other two I-divisioona seasons were played with Oulun Kärpät in 1989âÂÂ90 and Forssan Palloseura (FPS, previously FoPS) in 1990âÂÂ91. In the II-divisioona, he played the 1994âÂÂ95 season with Lätkä-77 and the 1995âÂÂ96 season with Uudenkaupungin Jää-Kotkat (UJK).
Ortio's son, Joni Ortio, is an active professional goaltender and his career has included playing in the National Hockey League (NHL), the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), the SM-liiga, and the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).