Olli Jokinen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Olli Jokinen |
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Jokinen with the Nashville Predators in 2014
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| Born | December 5, 1978 Kuopio, Finland |
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | KalPa HIFK Los Angeles Kings New York Islanders Florida Panthers EHC Kloten Södertälje SK Phoenix Coyotes Calgary Flames New York Rangers Winnipeg Jets Nashville Predators Toronto Maple Leafs St. Louis Blues |
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| National team |  Finland |
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| NHL Draft | 3rd overall, 1997 Los Angeles Kings |
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| Playing career | 1995–2015 | ||
Olli Veli Pekka Jokinen (born December 5, 1978) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. He was picked by the Los Angeles Kings as the third player overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. He played for many different teams in the NHL, including the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, and Winnipeg Jets.
Before joining the NHL, Olli started his career in Finland with teams like KalPa and HIFK. He also played in Switzerland and Sweden. He once held records for most goals, assists, and points for the Florida Panthers.
Olli Jokinen had a great career, playing 799 NHL games before making his first playoff appearance. He also played in over 1,000 NHL games. He was a key player for Finland in many international tournaments. He won a gold medal at the 1998 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and several Olympic medals, including silver in 2006.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting in Finland
Olli Jokinen began his hockey journey with his hometown team, KalPa, playing for their younger teams from 1994 to 1996. He first played for the main team in Finland's top league, the SM-liiga, during the 1995–96 season.
He then moved to HIFK for the 1996–97 season, playing full-time with the senior team. Even as the youngest player, he scored 14 goals and 41 points in 50 games. He was named the SM-liiga's rookie of the year, winning the Jarmo Wasama memorial trophy.
The NHL's scouting experts saw Olli as the best European player for the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. The Los Angeles Kings picked him third overall. He played eight games for the Kings in 1997–98 but was sent back to HIFK to finish the season. He helped HIFK win the SM-liiga championship that year. He also won two awards for being the most effective player and most valuable player in the playoffs.
Early NHL Years: Kings and Islanders
Olli returned to North America for the 1998–99 season. He started with the Kings' minor league team, the Springfield Falcons, scoring nine points in nine games. He was soon called up to the Kings. He got his first NHL point in November 1998 and scored his first NHL goal a few nights later. He was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for November.
After that season, in June 1999, Olli was traded to the New York Islanders. He played one season with the Islanders, appearing in all 82 games and scoring 21 points. In 2000, he was traded again, this time to the Florida Panthers with goalie Roberto Luongo.
Becoming a Star with the Florida Panthers
Olli's first couple of seasons with the Florida Panthers were tough. His scoring numbers were low, and some people thought he wasn't playing well. He even thought about leaving the NHL and going back to Finland.
However, the 2002–03 season was his breakout year. He scored 36 goals and 65 points, leading his team. He also played in his first NHL All-Star Game. He said his new coach, Mike Keenan, helped him turn things around.
Olli became an alternate captain in 2002 and then the team captain in 2003–04. He continued to lead the Panthers in scoring. When the 2004–05 season was canceled due to a player lockout, Olli played for teams in Switzerland, Sweden, and Finland.
When the NHL returned in 2005–06, Olli had his best season, scoring 38 goals, 51 assists, and 89 points. He played his 500th NHL game and scored his first NHL hat-trick that season. In 2006–07, he set new personal bests with 39 goals and 91 points. He led the Panthers in offense for five seasons in a row.
In 2008, Olli was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes. He left the Panthers as their all-time leader in goals (188), assists (231), and points (419).
Journeys to Phoenix, Calgary, and New York
The 2008–09 season started well for Olli with the Coyotes. However, a shoulder injury made him miss a game for the first time in a long while. He was then traded to the Calgary Flames in March 2009.
This trade was good for the Flames, as Olli scored ten points in his first six games. For the first time in his ten-year NHL career, Olli finally played in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He had played 799 NHL games before this, which was an NHL record for most games without a playoff appearance. He scored five points in six playoff games before the Flames were eliminated.
In 2009–10, Olli struggled to score with the Flames. He was traded to the New York Rangers late in the season. He scored 15 points in 21 games for the Rangers. In the last game of the season, the Rangers played the Philadelphia Flyers to decide who would make the playoffs. The game went to a shootout, and Olli's shot was stopped, ending their season.
After that season, Olli became a free agent and decided to return to the Flames. He signed a two-year contract. He finished the 2010–11 season with 17 goals and 54 points. On January 1, 2012, Olli played his 1,000th NHL game.
Final NHL Teams: Winnipeg to St. Louis
On July 1, 2012, Olli signed a two-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets. He was named an alternate captain. He played 45 games in the 2012–13 season, scoring 14 points.
Olli returned to Winnipeg for the 2013–14 season. He reached two big milestones on October 13, 2013: his 400th assist and 700th point. He played all 82 games for Winnipeg, scoring 18 goals and 43 points. After this season, he left the Jets as a free agent.
On July 20, 2014, he signed a one-year contract with the Nashville Predators. In February 2015, Olli was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He chose to wear number 11 instead of his usual number 13 out of respect for Maple Leafs legend Mats Sundin.
After only six games with Toronto, Olli was traded again, this time to the St. Louis Blues. He played eight games with the Blues before a season-ending injury in March 2015. Olli Jokinen ended his playing career after the 2014–15 season.
International Hockey Achievements
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice Hockey | ||
Representing  Finland |
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| Olympic Games | ||
| Silver | 2006 Turin | |
| Bronze | 2010 Vancouver | |
| Bronze | 2014 Sochi | |
| World Championships | ||
| Silver | 1998 Switzerland | |
| Silver | 1999 Norway | |
| Silver | 2014 Belarus | |
| Bronze | 2000 Russia | |
| Bronze | 2006 Latvia | |
| Bronze | 2008 Canada | |
| World Cup | ||
| Silver | 2004 Toronto | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 1998 Finland | |
Olli Jokinen proudly played for his home country, Finland, many times. He first played for the Finnish junior team at the European Junior Championship in 1996. A year later, he played in the 1997 World Junior Championship. He also made his debut with the main Finnish team that same year.
At the 1998 World Junior Championship, Olli was one of the top scorers and helped Finland win the gold medal on their home ice. He was named a tournament all-star and best forward. He then won silver medals at the 1998 and 1999 World Championships. He also won bronze medals in 2000, 2006, and 2008. In total, Olli played in ten World Championships for Finland.
Olli made his Olympic debut at the 2002 Games. Two years later, he helped Finland reach the final of the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
At the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Olli was one of Finland's top scorers. He helped Finland reach their first gold medal game in the Winter Games, but they won silver after losing to Sweden. Olli won a bronze medal at his third Olympics, the 2010 Vancouver Games. He scored the winning goal in the bronze medal game against Slovakia. He also won another bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Life After Playing Hockey
After Olli Jokinen retired from playing hockey in 2015, he started the South Florida Hockey Academy. He created it with other former Florida Panthers players, Tomáš Vokoun and Radek Dvořák.
Olli had always been interested in coaching. In February 2021, he was hired to coach the team Mikkelin Jukurit in Finland's top hockey league, Liiga. After his first season, where he led Jukurit to second place, Olli won the Kalevi Numminen trophy as the best coach.
In 2024, Olli Jokinen became the head coach of Timrå IK, a team in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He signed a contract for two seasons with an option for a third.
Personal Life
Olli Jokinen met his wife, Katerina, when they were both 18 years old. Katerina was born in Greece but grew up in Finland. They got married in 2001 and have three daughters.
Olli also has an older brother named Ville, who played some games in the SM-liiga in Finland.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs Stats
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1995–96 | KalPa | FIN U18 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | KalPa | FIN U20 | 25 | 20 | 14 | 34 | 47 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 20 | ||
| 1995–96 | KalPa | SM-l | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | HIFK | FIN U20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | HIFK | SM-l | 50 | 14 | 27 | 41 | 88 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | HIFK | SM-l | 30 | 11 | 28 | 39 | 32 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 2 | ||
| 1998–99 | Springfield Falcons | AHL | 9 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 66 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | New York Islanders | NHL | 82 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 78 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 106 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 80 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 98 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 81 | 36 | 29 | 65 | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 82 | 26 | 32 | 58 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | EHC Kloten | NLA | 8 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Södertälje SK | SEL | 23 | 13 | 9 | 22 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | HIFK | SM-l | 14 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 24 | ||
| 2005–06 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 82 | 38 | 51 | 89 | 88 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 82 | 39 | 52 | 91 | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 82 | 34 | 37 | 71 | 67 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 57 | 21 | 21 | 42 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 19 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 2009–10 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 56 | 11 | 24 | 35 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | New York Rangers | NHL | 26 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 79 | 17 | 37 | 54 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 82 | 23 | 38 | 61 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 45 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 82 | 18 | 25 | 43 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 48 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| SM-l totals | 109 | 34 | 64 | 99 | 132 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 26 | ||||
| NHL totals | 1,231 | 321 | 429 | 750 | 1,071 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | ||||
International Play Stats
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Finland | EJC |  |
5 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 2 | |
| 1997 | Finland | WJC | 5th | 6 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 12 | |
| 1997 | Finland | WC | 5th | 8 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 | |
| 1998 | Finland | WJC |  |
7 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 6 | |
| 1998 | Finland | WC | |
10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 1999 | Finland | WC | |
10 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 14 | |
| 2000 | Finland | WC |  |
9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | |
| 2002 | Finland | OG | 6th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2002 | Finland | WC | 4th | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2003 | Finland | WC | 5th | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | |
| 2004 | Finland | WC | 6th | 7 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 6 | |
| 2004 | Finland | WCH | |
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2005 | Finland | WC | 7th | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2006 | Finland | OG | |
8 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2006 | Finland | WC | |
5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 27 | |
| 2008 | Finland | WC | |
8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 29 | |
| 2010 | Finland | OG | |
6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Finland | OG | |
6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Finland | WC | |
10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 18 | 14 | 8 | 22 | 20 | ||||
| Senior totals | 122 | 36 | 32 | 68 | 124 | ||||
Awards and Trophies
As a Player
- 1996–97 SM-liiga Jarmo Wasama memorial trophy (Rookie of the Year)
- 1997–98 SM-liiga Matti Keinonen trophy (Most Effective Player)
- 1997–98 SM-liiga Jari Kurri trophy (Playoff MVP)
As a Coach
- 2021–22 Liiga Kalevi Numminen trophy (Best Coach)
Images for kids
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Jokinen receives a silver stick for his 1,000th game with his family watching.
See also
- List of NHL players with 1000 games played
