Joonas Donskoi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joonas Donskoi
Donskoi with the Colorado Avalanche in 2020
Born	(1992-04-13) 13 April 1992 (age 33) Raahe, Finland
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Oulun Kärpät San Jose Sharks Colorado Avalanche Seattle Kraken
National team	Finland
NHL Draft	99th overall, 2010 Florida Panthers
Playing career	2009–2023

Joonas Donskoi (born 13 April 1992) is a former professional ice hockey player from Finland. He played as a right wing. The Florida Panthers picked him 99th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Joonas started his career in 2009 with Oulun Kärpät in Finland. In 2015, he began playing in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the San Jose Sharks. He then joined the Colorado Avalanche in 2019 as a free agent. Later, the Seattle Kraken chose him in the 2021 NHL expansion draft. In 2023, Joonas announced he was retiring from hockey. This was because of concussions he had received. He played a total of 474 NHL games.

Joonas also played for the Finnish national team. He won a bronze medal at the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championships. He also played in the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, 2015 IIHF World Championship, and 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Joonas Donskoi's Hockey Journey

Early Years in Finland (2007–2015)

Joonas Donskoi began playing junior hockey when he was five years old. He started with a team called Teräs-Kieko in his hometown of Raahe, Finland. When he was 15, he moved to Oulu. There, he joined the Oulun Kärpät team for the 2007–08 season.

In April 2009, when Joonas was 17, he signed a three-year contract with Kärpät to play in Finland's top league, called SM-Liiga. His first game was on September 11, 2009. He scored his first goal in his third game on September 19, 2009. In November 2009, he hurt his knee and couldn't play for about a month. That season, he played 18 games and scored four points. He spent the rest of the season playing in the junior league, where he helped his team win the championship in 2010.

Donskoi during his time with Oulun Kärpät.

Before the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, hockey scouts thought Joonas was one of the best young European forwards. The Florida Panthers picked him in the fourth round. Another team, Avangard Omsk from Russia, also drafted him in their league's junior draft.

In his first full season in the Liiga (2010–11), Joonas was one of the top-scoring rookies. In January 2011, he signed a new two-year contract with Kärpät.

The 2011–12 season was a bit harder for Joonas. He got sick early in the season. He still managed to score 25 points in 52 games. In the playoffs, he played very well, scoring three goals and three assists in six games.

Joonas had a tough 2012–13 season. He injured his wrist in October and was out for a month. His play was not as strong as before. In December 2012, he signed another contract extension with Kärpät until 2015.

During the 2013–14 season, Joonas improved his scoring. He was Kärpät's third-best scorer with 11 goals and 37 points. He was especially good at shootouts that fall. In February 2014, he signed a two-year contract extension. Kärpät went on to win the gold medal in the playoffs that year.

In the 2014–15 season, Joonas had his best year in the Liiga. He scored 19 goals and 49 points, making him Kärpät's top scorer. He also led the playoffs in the plus-minus statistic (+15). He was second in playoff points with 22. Kärpät won the Finnish championship again. Joonas was named the playoff's most valuable player (MVP) and won the Jari Kurri Trophy. He was also chosen for one of the Liiga's All-Star teams.

Joining the NHL: San Jose Sharks (2015–2019)

After his contract with the Florida Panthers ended, Joonas signed a two-year contract with the San Jose Sharks on May 20, 2015. This was his first step into the NHL.

Joonas impressed everyone during his first training camp with the Sharks. He made the team for the 2015–16 season. He scored his first NHL goal in his very first game on October 7, 2015, against the Los Angeles Kings. Joonas played better than expected and became a regular player for the Sharks. He scored 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points in 76 games. He helped the Sharks reach the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in their history. In Game 3 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals, Joonas scored the winning goal in overtime. However, the Sharks lost the series to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Donskoi during his time with the San Jose Sharks.

On May 12, 2017, the Sharks signed Joonas to another two-year contract. He scored 28 goals and 31 assists over the next two seasons with the Sharks. After that, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.

Colorado Avalanche (2019–2021)

As a free agent, Joonas signed a four-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche on July 1, 2019. The Avalanche wanted him to add more scoring to their team. Joonas played his first game for the Avalanche on October 3, 2019. He scored two goals in a 5-3 win against the Calgary Flames.

Joonas showed he could play in different roles. He often played with Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky. He scored his first career hat-trick (three goals in one game) in a big 9-4 win against the Nashville Predators on November 7, 2019. He played his 300th NHL game on November 9. In November, he had a career-high 14 points. He also had a career-best four points (two goals, two assists) in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Joonas finished the season with a career-high 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points in 65 games. In the playoffs, he scored two goals and six points in nine games before getting injured.

In his second season with Colorado (2020–21), Joonas mostly played on the third line. He started the season very well, scoring 28 points in 35 games. He got his second career hat-trick on March 31, 2021. He scored three goals in just 7 minutes and 31 seconds, which was the fastest start to a game in the team's history! He finished the season with a career-high 17 goals and 31 points in 51 games. In the playoffs, he scored five points in 10 games.

Seattle Kraken and Retirement (2021–2023)

On July 21, 2021, Joonas was chosen by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. This meant he would play for the new Kraken team. In the Kraken's first season (2021–22), Joonas found it hard to score. He only got two goals and 20 assists for 22 points in 75 games.

Before the 2022–23 season, Joonas got a concussion during a preseason game. He missed the entire season because of this injury and its effects. On August 27, 2023, Joonas Donskoi announced his retirement from professional hockey.

International Play

Joonas Donskoi played for Finland in several international tournaments. He played in the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in 2008 and 2009. He also played in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2009.

In 2010, Joonas played in the IIHF World U18 Championship and won a bronze medal with the Finnish team.

He also played in the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2011 and 2012. In 2011, he was Finland's third-best scorer with three goals and six points. In 2012, he was an alternate captain for the team.

Joonas represented the senior Finnish team at the 2015 IIHF World Championship. He was the team's best point scorer and third-best goal scorer with five goals and eight points.

On March 2, 2016, Joonas was named to Team Finland's roster for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Personal Life

Joonas Donskoi comes from a big family. He has three brothers and two sisters, making him one of six children. In his free time, he enjoys cars and skateboarding. After the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, he went back to Finland. He helped pay off the debt for a skating park that his childhood friend owned. Joonas also has some Russian family roots from his great-grandfather or grandfather.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2008	Finland	U17	6th		5	1	0	1	2
2009	Finland	U17	10th		5	1	5	6	0
2010	Finland	U18			6	1	7	8	0
2011	Finland	WJC	6th		6	3	3	6	2
2012	Finland	WJC	4th		7	2	3	5	0
2015	Finland	WC	6th		8	5	3	8	0
2016	Finland	WCH	8th		3	0	0	0	0
Junior totals					29	8	18	26	4
Senior totals					11	5	3	8	0

Awards and Honours