Joonas Donskoi
Donskoi with the Colorado Avalanche in 2020
Born (1992-04-13) 13 April 1992
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 Finnish former professional ice hockey forward. He played for the San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, and Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

Donskoi played with Oulun Kärpät of the Finnish Liiga under coach Lauri Marjamäki. After witnessing Donskoi not standing upright enough while skating, he recommended the forward lengthen his stick.[1] While with Kärpät, he was drafted in the 4th round (99th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers.[2]

Donskoi during his tenure with Kärpät.

Donskoi continued his offensive growth, setting a career high of 19 goals and 49 points in the 2014–15 season with Kärpät.

San Jose Sharks

With his NHL rights relinquished by the Panthers, Donskoi was signed to a two-year entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks on 20 May 2015.[3]

In his first training camp and pre-season with the Sharks, Donskoi impressed and made the club's opening night roster for the 2015–16 season. Donskoi scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game, 7 October 2015, against Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings.[4] Donskoi surpassed expectations with the Sharks, cementing a regular roster position amongst the Sharks offense. In 76 games with San Jose, he compiled 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points. Helping the Sharks reach the postseason, Donskoi appeared in every game, contributing with 12 points in 23 games as the club reached the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in franchise history. In Game 3 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals, Donskoi scored the game-winning goal in overtime,[5] but the team lost the series in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On 12 May 2017, the Sharks re-signed Donskoi to a two-year, $3.8 million contract.[6]

Donskoi during his tenure with the San Jose Sharks.

He would record 28 goals and 31 assists over the next two seasons with the Sharks before becoming a free agent.

Colorado Avalanche

As a free agent from the Sharks, Donskoi signed a four-year, $15.6 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche on 1 July 2019.[7] Acquired by the Avalanche to add scoring depth to the club's middle six forwards, Donskoi made his Avalanche debut on the opening night of the 2019–20 season, registering 2 goals in a 5-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on 3 October 2019.[8] Showing versatility, Donskoi played primarily alongside Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky, and notched his first career hat-trick in a 9-4 blowout victory over the Nashville Predators on 7 November 2019.[9] He made his 300th NHL regular season appearance the following game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on 9 November.[10] He compiled a career high 14 points through the month of November, recording a career-high four points (2 goals, 2 assists), playing on the top-line in a 5-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on 30 November.[11] Donskoi recorded a career-high 16 goals and added 17 assists and 33 points in 65 games before the regular season was halted in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Avalanche's return to the playoffs, Donskoi added two goals in the round-robin stage and added 6 points in just 9 post-season games before missing the club's final 5 games to injury in a second-round defeat to the Dallas Stars.[12]

In his second season with Colorado, with added depth brought into the Avalanche line-up, Donskoi was primarily used in a third-line role alongside Tyson Jost and Valeri Nichushkin for the pandemic delayed 2020–21 season. Donskoi began the season with an offensive burst, compiling 28 points through 35 games, including collecting his second career hat-trick, notching the fastest 3 goals to start a game in franchise history (7:31) in a 9-3 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on 31 March 2021.[13] After missing 5 games through April in a COVID protocol related absence, Donskoi slowed in his production, finishing with a career high 17 goals while adding 31 points in 51 regular season games. In the opening round of the playoffs, Donskoi matched a career high of 3 points in a Game 2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on 19 May 2021.[14] He collected five points in 10 playoff games, unable to help Colorado advance past the second round for the third consecutive year.

Seattle Kraken and retirement

On 21 July 2021, Donskoi's tenure with Colorado was cut short when he was selected from the Avalanche at the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft by the Seattle Kraken.[15] Donskoi struggled to find his offensive touch in the Kraken's inaugural season in 2021–22, posting only 2 goals and 20 assists for 22 points in 75 games.

In preparation for the 2022–23 season, Donskoi suffered a concussion after colliding during a pre-season game with Kole Lind during a game against the Vancouver Canucks.[16] After missing the entire season due to the concussion and its aftereffects, Donskoi announced his retirement on August 27, 2023.[17]

International play

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Finland
IIHF World U18 Championship
Bronze medal – third place2010 Belarus

On 2 March 2016, Donskoi was named to Team Finland's roster for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.[18]

Personal life

Donskoi is one of six children; he has three brothers and two sisters. In his free time, he is interested in cars[19] and skateboarding. After the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, he returned to Finland and paid off the debt of a skating park his childhood friend owned.[20] He has Russian roots from his great-grandfather or grandfather.[21]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2007–08 Kärpät FIN U18 21 9 14 23 26 5 3 4 7 0
2008–09 Kärpät FIN U18 1 1 1 2 0 6 6 7 13 0
2008–09 Kärpät Jr. A 32 7 17 24 12 — — — — —
2009–10 Kärpät Jr. A 18 14 15 29 2 12 5 10 15 4
2009–10 Kärpät SM-l 18 2 2 4 4 — — — — —
2010–11 Kärpät SM-l 52 16 11 27 10 3 1 0 1 0
2011–12 Kärpät SM-l 52 8 17 25 12 6 3 3 6 0
2012–13 Kärpät SM-l 31 4 10 14 8 3 0 1 1 2
2013–14 Kärpät Liiga 60 11 26 37 10 16 4 2 6 4
2014–15 Kärpät Liiga 58 19 30 49 10 19 6 16 22 6
2015–16 San Jose Sharks NHL 76 11 25 36 20 24 6 6 12 4
2016–17 San Jose Sharks NHL 61 6 11 17 10 5 0 2 2 0
2017–18 San Jose Sharks NHL 66 14 18 32 26 9 2 2 4 0
2018–19 San Jose Sharks NHL 80 14 23 37 10 12 1 2 3 4
2019–20 Colorado Avalanche NHL 65 16 17 33 26 9 3 3 6 2
2020–21 Colorado Avalanche NHL 51 17 14 31 10 10 3 2 5 0
2021–22 Seattle Kraken NHL 75 2 20 22 14 — — — — —
Liiga totals 351 74 119 193 64 47 14 22 36 12
NHL totals 474 80 128 208 116 69 15 17 32 10

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 WJC18 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 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

Award Year
Liiga
Kanada-malja (Oulun Kärpät) 2014, 2015
All-Star Team 2015
Jari Kurri Trophy (Playoff MVP) 2015

References

  1. ↑ Campbell, Ken (5 June 2016). "MEET THE FINNISH COACHING PHENOM WHO MADE JOONAS DONSKOI AN NHL PLAYER". The Hockey News. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  2. ↑ "2010 Draft Wraps Up". nhl.com. 26 June 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  3. ↑ "Sharks Sign Forward Joonas Donskoi". San Jose Sharks. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  4. ↑ "Sharks rout Kings in DeBoer's debut as coach". National Hockey League. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  5. ↑ Pashelka, Curtis (5 June 2016). "Stanley Cup Game 3 recap: Joonas Donskoi's OT goal gives Sharks new life". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  6. ↑ "Sharks Re-Sign Forward Joonas Donskoi". National Hockey League. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  7. ↑ "Donskoi agrees to terms on four-year contract with Avalanche". Colorado Avalanche. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  8. ↑ "Avalanche opens new season with Victory over Flames". Colorado Avalanche. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  9. ↑ "Donskoi scores three goals as Avalanche trounce Predators". ESPN. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  10. ↑ "Avs sweep their two-game homestand". Denver Post. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  11. ↑ "Rantanen has four points in return as Avalanche top Blackhawks". National Hockey League. 30 November 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  12. ↑ "Avalanche won't get any of its injured players back". Denver Post. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  13. ↑ "Donskoi scores three in first, Avs beat Coyotes 9-3". ESPN. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  14. ↑ "MacKinnon records hat-trick, Avalanche take Game 2". ESPN. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  15. ↑ "Seattle selects Donskoi in expansion draft". Colorado Avalanche. 21 July 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  16. ↑ "Kraken's Joonas Donskoi: Dealing with concussion". CBSSports.com. 28 January 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  17. ↑ "Kraken forward Joonas Donskoi retires following issues with concussions". sportsnet.ca. 27 August 2023.
  18. ↑ "Donskoi Named to Finland World Cup Roster". nhl.com. 2 March 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  19. ↑ "Off Days - Joonas Donskoi". NHL.com. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  20. ↑ Pickens, Pat (12 May 2019). "Donskoi assists hometown skate park with clutch donation". nhl.com. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  21. ↑ "Donskoi making a mark" (in Russian). sovsport.ru. 2 January 2016. Archived from the original on 13 May 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
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