Kai Suikkanen played most of his career from 1976-91 with one club – Kärpät Oulu – except for 1981-84 when he played in North America with the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL and the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League and his last season as a player in 1990-91, when he played with TPS Turku. With Kärpat, Suikkanen won the Finnish title in 1981 and won his second Finnish title with TPS in 1990. In 1983 he also won the Calder Cup with Rochester. Internationally Suikkanen won Olympic silver in 1988 and European Championships bronze in 1986. After his playing career, Suikkanen became an ice hockey coach. He coached Rovaniemen Kiekko, before becoming the coach of Kajaanin Hokki from 2006-08. In 2008 he was named the head coach of TPS Turku.
Finland