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. A right wing is a player who usually skates on the right side of the ice. The Florida Panthers picked him 99th overall in the 2010 NHL entry draft.

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

Donskoi also played for Finland in international tournaments. He won a bronze medal at the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championships. He also played in the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, the 2015 IIHF World Championship, and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Playing Career Highlights

Early Years with Oulun Kärpät (2007–2015)

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

In April 2009, Donskoi, at 17, signed a three-year contract with Kärpät's main team, which plays in the Liiga. He played his first Liiga game on 11 September 2009. He scored his first Liiga goal in his third game on 19 September 2009. Later that year, he hurt his knee and was out for about a month. In his first season, he played 18 games and scored four points.

Donskoi playing for Oulun Kärpät.

Before the 2010 NHL entry draft, hockey scouts thought Donskoi was one of the top European forwards. The Florida Panthers picked him in the fourth round. Another team, Avangard Omsk, also drafted him in the 2010 KHL Junior Draft.

In his first full season, 2010–11, Donskoi was one of the top-scoring rookies in the Liiga. He signed a two-year contract extension with Kärpät in January 2011.

The 2011–12 season was a bit harder for Donskoi. He got sick early in the season, which affected his play. He still managed to score 25 points in 52 games. In the playoffs, he was one of Kärpät's best players, scoring six points in six games.

Donskoi's 2012–13 season also had some challenges. He injured his wrist in October and missed a month of games. He signed another contract extension with Kärpät until 2015.

During the 2013–14 season, Donskoi improved his scoring. He was Kärpät's third-highest scorer with 37 points. He was especially good at shootouts that fall. Kärpät won the gold medal in the playoffs that season.

In the 2014–15 season, Donskoi had his best year in the Liiga. He scored 49 points, making him Kärpät's top scorer. He also led the playoffs in the plus-minus statistic, which shows how well a player performs when they are on the ice. Kärpät won the Finnish championship again. Donskoi was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the playoffs and was chosen for the Liiga's All-Star team.

Joining the San Jose Sharks (2015–2019)

After the Florida Panthers gave up their rights to him, Donskoi signed a two-year contract with the San Jose Sharks on 20 May 2015.

Donskoi impressed the Sharks during his first training camp. He earned a spot on the team for the 2015–16 season. He scored his first NHL goal in his very first NHL game on 7 October 2015. Donskoi played better than expected, becoming a regular player for the Sharks. In 76 games, he scored 11 goals and had 25 assists, totaling 36 points.

Donskoi playing for the San Jose Sharks.

He helped the Sharks reach the playoffs and played in every game. He scored 12 points in 23 playoff games as the team made it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time ever. In Game 3 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals, Donskoi scored the winning goal in overtime. However, the Sharks lost the series in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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

Time with the Colorado Avalanche (2019–2021)

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

Donskoi showed he could play well in different roles. He often played with Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky. He scored his first career hat-trick (three goals in one game) on 7 November 2019. He played his 300th NHL regular season game shortly after. In November, he had a career-high 14 points. He also set a personal best with four points in one game on 30 November. Donskoi finished the 2019–20 season with a career-high 16 goals and 33 points in 65 games. The regular season was stopped early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the playoffs, Donskoi scored six points in nine games before getting injured.

In his second season with Colorado, the 2020–21 season, Donskoi mostly played on the third line. He started the season very well, scoring 28 points in 35 games. He also got his second career hat-trick on 31 March 2021. He scored three goals in the fastest time to start a game in Avalanche history. After missing some games due to COVID-19 rules, his scoring slowed down. He finished 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 21 July 2021, the Seattle Kraken picked Donskoi from the Avalanche in the 2021 NHL expansion draft. Donskoi had a tough time scoring goals in the Kraken's first season, 2021–22. He scored only two goals and had 20 assists in 75 games.

Before the 2022–23 season, Donskoi suffered a concussion during a preseason game. He missed the entire season because of this concussion and its effects. On 27 August 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, Donskoi 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. In 2012, he was an alternate captain for the team.

Donskoi represented the senior Finnish team at the 2015 IIHF World Championship. He was the team's best point scorer and third-best goal scorer.

On 2 March 2016, Donskoi was chosen to play for Team Finland in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Personal Life

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

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play Statistics

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