Kaapo Kakko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kaapo Kakko |
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Kakko with the Seattle Kraken in 2024
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| Born | 13 February 2001 Turku, Finland |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Seattle Kraken TPS New York Rangers |
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| National team |  Finland |
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| NHL Draft | 2nd overall, 2019 New York Rangers |
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| Playing career | 2017–present | ||
Kaapo Kakko was born on 13 February 2001. He is a professional ice hockey player from Finland. Kaapo plays as a forward for the Seattle Kraken in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was chosen second overall by the New York Rangers in the 2019 NHL entry draft. Kaapo usually plays as a right wing, but he can also play at centre. He started his professional career with TPS in the Finnish Liiga.
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Playing Ice Hockey
Starting with the New York Rangers
On 21 June 2019, Kaapo Kakko was a top player expected to be picked early in the 2019 NHL entry draft. The New York Rangers chose him as the second player overall. Soon after, on 11 July 2019, he signed his first professional contract with the Rangers. This contract was for three years.
Kaapo played his first NHL game for the Rangers on 3 October 2019. He scored his very first NHL goal on 12 October, during a home game against the Edmonton Oilers. This made him the eighth player in Rangers history to score a goal at age 18 or younger. He was also the second player born in the 21st century to score an NHL goal.
After his first contract ended, Kaapo signed a new two-year deal with the Rangers on 28 July 2022. He signed another one-year contract extension with them on 13 June 2024.
Moving to the Seattle Kraken
During the 2024–25 season, Kaapo Kakko was traded to a new team. On 18 December 2024, the Rangers traded him to the Seattle Kraken. In return, the Rangers received player Will Borgen and two draft picks for the 2025 season.
Playing for Finland
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Representing Finland |
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| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2019 Slovakia | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 2019 Canada | |
| World U18 Championships | ||
| Gold | 2018 Russia | |
Kaapo Kakko has won several gold medals playing for his home country, Finland. He scored the winning goal for the Finnish junior team in the 2019 World Junior Championships. This big moment happened on 5 January 2019.
Kaapo is the youngest player ever to win gold medals in all three major IIHF world championship tournaments. These are the World U18 Championships, the World Junior Championships, and the World Championships.
He also played for the Finnish senior team in the 2019 World Championship. He led the team with six goals, helping Finland win another gold medal.
About Kaapo's Life
Kaapo Kakko has Type 1 diabetes. He also has celiac disease.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2016–17 | TPS | Jr. A | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | TPS | Jr. A | 38 | 25 | 30 | 55 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | TPS | Liiga | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | TPS | Liiga | 45 | 22 | 16 | 38 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 2019–20 | New York Rangers | NHL | 66 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | New York Rangers | NHL | 48 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | New York Rangers | NHL | 43 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 10 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 18 | 22 | 40 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | New York Rangers | NHL | 61 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 24 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | New York Rangers | NHL | 30 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Liiga totals | 51 | 22 | 17 | 39 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| NHL totals | 330 | 61 | 70 | 131 | 80 | 44 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 | ||||
International Play Statistics
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Finland | U18 |  |
7 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2019 | Finland | WJC | |
7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2019 | Finland | WC | |
10 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 14 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 2 | ||||
| Senior totals | 10 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0 | ||||
Awards and Honours
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Liiga | ||
| Jarmo Wasama Memorial Trophy | 2019 | |
| President's Trophy | 2019 | |
