The original Winnipeg Jets selected Numminen, a defenseman from Tampere, Finland, in the second round (No. 29) of the 1986 NHL Draft.

Numminen played two additional seasons with Tappara after being drafted, then joined Winnipeg in 1988. He spent 15 seasons with the Jets/Phoenix Coyotes franchise, played in the NHL All-Star Game three times during that span and became one of the League's most consistent defensemen.

He reached double figures in goals five times with the Jets/Coyotes, including an NHL career high of 13 in 2001-02, and had seven seasons with at least 40 points. His best offensive season was 1995-96, when he scored 11 goals and had an NHL career-high 54 points.

The Jets traded Numminen to the Dallas Stars on July 22, 2003. After one season with Dallas, he became a free agent and signed with the Buffalo Sabres on Aug. 4, 2005.

Numminen was a member of the Sabres when he set an NHL record Nov. 13, 2006, playing his 1,252nd game, passing Jari Kurri for the most in the NHL by a player born and trained in Europe. He finished 2005-06 with 40 points (two goals, 38 assists), helping the Sabres reach Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Heart surgery kept Numminen out of the lineup for all but the final game of the 2007-08 regular season, but he returned to play 57 games in 2008-09 before retiring at age 40 with 637 points (117 goals, 520 assists) in 1,372 regular-season games and 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 82 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Numminen's No. 27 was retired and he was enshrined in the Coyotes' Ring of Honor on Jan. 30, 2010.