Jokinen began his professional career in his native Finland in 1996 and in 1997 won the Jarmo Wasama memorial trophy as SM-liiga rookie of the year. He won the Matti Keinonen and Jari Kurri trophies in 1998 as the most effective player of the regular season and most valuable player of the playoffs, respectively. He moved to the NHL full-time in 1998–99 and played his best seasons with the Florida Panthers, with whom he served as captain from 2003 to 2008 and played in the 2003 All-Star Game. Jokinen played an NHL record 799 games before making his first and only Stanley Cup playoff appearance in 2009 with the Flames (Since broken by Ron Hainsey in 2017 with 907 Games played). In 2012, he played his 1,000th career NHL game.
Jokinen began with his hometown team, KalPa, playing for the squad's under-18 and junior teams between 1994 and 1996. He made his debut with the senior team in the SM-liiga in 1995–96, appearing in 15 games, scoring one goal and one assist.[1] He moved onto HIFK in 1996–97, where he played full-time with the senior squad. He was the youngest player on the team, and in 50 games, scored 14 goals and 41 points.[2] He was recognized as the SM-liiga's rookie of the year, and was presented with the Jarmo Wasama memorial trophy.[1]
Jokinen played 30 games with HIFK, scoring 39 points. He added another nine points in nine playoff games as the team won the SM-liiga championship.[1][5] He won the Matti Keinonen and Jari Kurri trophies in 1998 as the most effective player of the regular season and most valuable player of the playoffs, respectively. He also scored the game-winning goal in game 3 in overtime vs Ilves to secure the championship for his team.[6]
Los Angeles and the New York Islanders
Returning to North America, Jokinen began the 1998–99 season with the Kings' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Springfield Falcons. He earned a recall to Los Angeles after nine games, in which he scored nine points.[1] He recorded his first NHL point on November 5, 1998, with an assist in a game against the St. Louis Blues, then scored his first NHL goal five nights later against the Calgary Flames. Jokinen was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for November, scoring eight points in 11 games.[2] He finished the season with 21 points in 66 games played.[1] Following the conclusion of the season, on June 20, 1999, Jokinen was traded to the New York Islanders, along with Josh Green, Mathieu Biron, and a first-round selection at that year's draft, in exchange for Žigmund Pálffy, Bryan Smolinski, Marcel Cousineau, and a fourth-round selection. Jokinen was considered the central piece of the deal from New York's perspective, as they gave up their top player in Pálffy.[7]
Jokinen warming up prior to a game while a member of the Flames
In Florida, Jokinen initially did not get along with head coach Terry Murray, as the Panthers' bench boss criticized his play while leaving him out of the lineup for several December games during the 2000–01 season.[9] Though he appeared in 78 games for the Panthers, Jokinen's offensive totals fell to a career-low 16 points. He showed a modest improvement to 29 points in 80 games in 2001–02, but Jokinen was increasingly being criticized as a bust. His confidence reached a low point during that season, at one point he contemplated leaving the NHL and returning to Finland.[10]
The 2002–03 season proved to be Jokinen's breakout year. Playing under new head coach Mike Keenan and described by general manager Rick Dudley as skating "every shift like it was his last," he scored 11 points in his first 12 games of the season.[11] He equaled his previous career high of 29 points in the 26th game of the season,[10] and finished with a team-leading 36 goals and 65 points.[2] Additionally, he played in his first NHL All-Star Game.[12] Jokinen credited his turnaround to Keenan, who launched into a tirade against the player's commitment during the first intermission of a game mere days after he was hired as a mid-season replacement for Terry Murray.[10]
Jokinen was named an alternate captain of the Panthers prior to the 2002–03 season,[10] and was elevated to captain to begin 2003–04.[1] He again led the team in goals (26) and points (58) and scored his 200th career point on March 10, 2004, with an assist against the Buffalo Sabres.[2] When the 2004–05 season was cancelled due to a labour dispute, Jokinen played for several European teams: first EHC Kloten of the Swiss National League A, then Södertälje SK of the Swedish Elitserien and finally HIFK back in Finland.[1] Returning to the NHL in 2005–06, Jokinen reached new career highs with 38 goals, 51 assists and 89 points. He played his 500th NHL game on November 19, 2005, against the New York Islanders, and recorded his first NHL hat-trick on November 25 against Pittsburgh.[2]
Appearing in all 82 games for the Panthers in 2006–07, Jokinen again set personal bests with 39 goals, 52 assists and 91 points. He fell back to 34 goals and 71 points in 2007–08, but led the Panthers offensively for the fifth consecutive season.[2] He was involved in a frightening accident during a February 10, 2008, game against the Buffalo Sabres. Jokinen was checked by Buffalo forward Clarke MacArthur and as he fell to the ice, his skate came up and struck teammate Richard Zedník in the throat, seriously injuring him.[13] Zedník was nearly killed by the cut and missed the remainder of the season, though he recovered and was able to resume his career.[14]
Jokinen was the subject of trade rumours throughout the season as the Panthers, who had failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, looked at ways of improving their club.[15] Florida ultimately traded Jokinen at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft; he was sent to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Keith Ballard, Nick Boynton and a second-round draft pick.[16] Jokinen left the Panthers as the franchise's all-time leader in goals (188), assists (231) and points (419).[2]
Phoenix, Calgary and the New York Rangers
Jokinen is presented with a silver stick in honour of his 1,000th game as his family looks on
The 2008–09 season began well for Jokinen, as he recorded 18 points in his first 21 games with the Coyotes. A shoulder injury suffered in November 2008, however, caused him to miss a game for the first time since 2002–03, ending his streak of consecutive games played at 397.[17] He appeared in 57 games for the Coyotes but did not finish the season in Phoenix; the Calgary Flames acquired him, along with a third-round draft pick, on March 4, 2009, in exchange for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and Calgary's first-round selection at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.[18]
The deal was an immediate benefit to the Flames, as Jokinen had one of the best starts for a newly acquired player in team history, scoring ten points in his first six games, and was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week for March 9–15.[2] He fell into an offensive slump toward the end of the season, however, failing to score in Calgary's last 13 regular season games. For the first time in his ten-year NHL career, however, and after a wait of 799 NHL games, Jokinen played in the Stanley Cup playoffs.[19] Earlier in the season, while still with Phoenix, Jokinen surpassed Guy Charron's NHL record total of 735 games without ever appearing in a playoff game.[20] Jokinen appeared in six games during the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs, scoring five points as the Flames were eliminated in the first round.[1]
Jokinen's offense disappeared in 2009–10, as he scored just three goals in his first 23 games and failed to work well with captain Jarome Iginla. He was criticized by local media, who placed blame on his shoulders for the Flames' failure to make the 2010 playoffs and for failing to live up to the value expected by his US$5.25 million contract.[21] Late in the season, Jokinen was involved in a trade to the New York Rangers, where he was sent with Brandon Prust in exchange for Aleš Kotalík and Chris Higgins, who had similarly disappointing seasons in New York.[22]
The deal generated controversy after Canadian channel TSN had announced that the trade was complete, then claimed that the Flames had balked at completing the deal, believing they would need their players for a scheduled game. Consequently, Jokinen appeared in his final game with the Flames knowing through the media that he was to be traded afterward. When the trade was officially made, Jokinen bluntly described his feelings on the deal: "It’s a brutal business. That’s the way it goes. It comes with the salary. When you make $5 million, 11 goals is not going to cut it. ... It’s definitely a slap in the face to get traded."[23] Jokinen scored 15 points in 21 games with the Rangers.[1] In the final game of the season, New York faced the Philadelphia Flyers with the winner qualifying for the final playoff spot. Regulation time ended with the two teams tied, and the game ultimately went to a shootout. Jokinen came up as the Rangers' final shooter, with Philadelphia leading by one goal. His shot was stopped by Brian Boucher, ending their season.[24]
A free agent following the season, Jokinen chose to return to the Flames, signing a two-year, $6 million contract.[25] The deal generated a strong reaction in Calgary, as some fans expressed strong opinions against his reacquisition.[26] The Flames' head coach Brent Sutter sought to simplify Jokinen's game and force greater defensive responsibility on the forward. He finished the 2010–11 season with 17 goals and 54 points and was praised by his coach.[27]
After becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2012, Jokinen signed a two-year, $9 million deal with the Winnipeg Jets a day later, on July 2.[29] He was named an alternate captain of the team at the start of the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season.[30] While he was a popular player with his Jets teammates, Jokinen was unable to provide the type of offensive performance the team expected.[31] He recorded only seven goals and seven assists in 45 games.[28] Following the season, Jokinen admitted that not playing in Europe during the lockout negatively impacted his fitness and play throughout the NHL season.[32]
Jokinen returned to Winnipeg for the 2013–14 season and reached a pair of milestones early in the campaign. He recorded both his 400th assist and 700th point on October 13, 2013, in a 3–0 victory over the New Jersey Devils.[33] He played in all 82 games for Winnipeg and recorded 18 goals and 43 points. However, he was also passed by Bryan Little and Mark Scheifele on the Jets' depth-chart at centre.[34] As a consequence, Winnipeg allowed Jokinen to leave via free agency. On July 20, 2014, he signed a one-year contract with the Nashville Predators worth $2.5 million.[35]
On February 15, 2015, Jokinen, along with Brendan Leipsic and a first-round draft pick in 2015, were traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli.[36] He wore number 11 in Toronto as opposed to his regular number 13, out of respect for the Maple Leafs' great Mats Sundin, saying, "There's only one No. 13 for the Maple Leafs and that's the way it should be."[37]
After only six games played for Toronto, Jokinen was traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Joakim Lindström and a conditional sixth-round pick in 2016 (Nicolas Mattinen).[38] He played 8 games with the Blues before suffering a season-ending injury on March 6 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Jokinen ended his playing career after the 2014–15 season.
At the 1998 World Junior Championship, Jokinen tied with American Jeff Farkas as the tournament's scoring leader with ten points and helped Finland win the gold medal on home soil.[2] He was named a tournament all-star at centre, and was given the Directorate Award as top forward.[39] He then won a silver medal at the 1998 World Championship. Another silver followed in 1999 and bronze medals in 2000, 2006 and 2008. In total, Jokinen has appeared in ten World Championships for Finland, scoring 41 points in 82 games.[40]
Jokinen made his Olympic debut at the 2002 Games, where he scored two goals in four games,[1] though Finland were eliminated by Canada in the quarter-finals and finished in sixth place.[41] Two years later, he helped Finland reach the final of the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, scoring the first goal in a 2–1 come from behind victory over the United States in the semi-final.[42] The Finnish national teams were again defeated by Canada in the final.
At the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Jokinen tied with Teemu Selänne for the team lead with six goals and helped Finland reach its first gold medal game in a Winter Games.[43][44] He and his teammates had to settle for silver, however, following a 3–2 loss to rival Sweden in the final.[45] Jokinen won a bronze medal at his third Olympics, the 2010 Vancouver Games. He scored two goals, including the game winner, in a 5–3 victory over Slovakia in the third place game.[46]
Post playing career
After Jokinen retired from hockey in 2015, he created the South Florida Hockey Academy, along with former Florida Panthers players Tomáš Vokoun and Radek Dvořák.[47] While his professional hockey career began to dwindle down, he expressed an interest in coaching, and in February 2021, he was hired to coach the team Mikkelin Jukurit in Liiga, which is the highest level hockey league in Finland.[48] After his first season with Jukurit, which he led to second place in regular season, Jokinen was awarded the Kalevi Numminen trophy.[49]
In 2024 Olli Jokinen takes over as the head coach of Timrå IK, which plays in the SHL. The Swedish team announced the contract, Jokinen's contract is a 2+1 model. So, in addition to two seasons, the contract includes one option year.
Personal life
Jokinen met his wife Katerina, who was born in Greece but grew up in Finland, when they were both 18. They were married in 2001,[50] and have three daughters.[51]
He has an older brother, Ville, who played 47 games in SM-liiga between 1996 and 1998 with four points (one goal and three assists) and 58 penalty minutes.[52]
Teemu Ilmari Selänne is a Finnish former professional ice hockey winger. He began his professional career in 1989–90 with Jokerit of the SM-liiga and played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Winnipeg Jets, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and Colorado Avalanche. Nicknamed "the Finnish Flash", Selänne is the highest scoring Finn in NHL history, and one of the highest overall; he retired in 2014 11th all-time with 684 goals and 15th with 1,457 points. He holds numerous team scoring records for both the Winnipeg/Arizona franchise and the Anaheim Ducks. His jersey number 8 was retired by the Ducks in 2015. In 2017 Selänne was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history. On June 26, 2017, Selänne was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as the second Finn after Jari Kurri.
Jay Daniel Bouwmeester is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played seventeen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues. He was a first round selection, third overall, of the Panthers at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2003 and played seven seasons in the Panthers organization before being traded to the Calgary Flames in 2009, with which he played four seasons. Bouwmeester was then traded to the Blues in 2013. He held one of the longest iron man streaks in NHL history as he appeared in 737 consecutive regular season games between 2004 and 2014.
Ville Sakari Peltonen is a Finnish ice hockey coach and a former professional ice hockey forward. Peltonen was drafted by the San Jose Sharks as their third round pick, 58th overall, in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. During his professional career, he has played 382 NHL games for Sharks, Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers. Internationally, he represented the Finland men's national ice hockey team, and was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2016.
Niklas Hagman is a Finnish former professional ice hockey forward. He was a third round pick of the Florida Panthers, 70th overall, at the 1999 NHL Entry Draft and made his National Hockey League (NHL) debut with Florida in 2001. He has also played for the Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks in the NHL, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL, HIFK, Espoo Blues and Kärpät in the SM-liiga and HC Davos in the Swiss National League A.
Toni Petteri Lydman is a Finnish former professional ice hockey defenceman. He first played competitively in his native Finland with Tappara, and HIFK of the SM-liiga before enjoying a lengthy career in the National Hockey League with the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres and the Anaheim Ducks.
Jussi Petteri Jokinen is a Finnish former professional ice hockey forward. After playing in his native Finland with Oulun Kärpät of the Liiga he was drafted by the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Dallas Stars in 2001 in the sixth round, 192nd overall, and spent his first three NHL seasons with the team. Jokinen has also played in the NHL for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks.
Sergei Vasilievich Pryakhin is a Russian former ice hockey forward who played 20 seasons in several leagues. He is a former captain of Krylya Sovetov Moscow of the Soviet League and was the first Soviet hockey player permitted to play in the National Hockey League (NHL), and the second Soviet player to appear in an NHL game, following Victor Nechayev. He joined the Calgary Flames in 1989 and played parts of three seasons in the NHL. Pryakhin returned to Europe in 1991 where he spent three seasons in Switzerland with Zürcher SC, then four in Finland with Kiekko-Espoo. He also played with the Oji Eagles in Japan for one year before returning to Kryla for a final season before retiring in 2000.
Pekka Olavi "Rocky" Rautakallio is a Finnish former professional ice hockey defenceman and coach. He played 14 seasons in Finland's SM-sarja and SM-liiga between 1968 and 1987 for Ässät and HIFK Helsinki, during which he was a five-time Finnish All-Star. Rautakallio was a member of Ässät's championship team that won the Kanada-malja in 1978. He was named the best defenceman of the SM-liiga in 1978, 1979 and 1986; the league later named the award the Pekka Rautakallio trophy in his honour. Internationally, Rautakallio played with the Finnish national team in seven World Championships and two Canada Cup tournaments.
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Carey John Wilson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for ten seasons. His father, Jerry Wilson, played three games in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens in the 1950s, and later was the team doctor for the Winnipeg Jets.
The 1995–96 Hartford Whalers season was the 24th season of the franchise, 17th season in the NHL. The Whalers missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
The 2010–11 Calgary Flames season was the 31st season in Calgary and 39th for the Flames franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flames finished second in the Northwest Division but failed to qualify for the playoffs after finishing 10th in the Western Conference. It was the second consecutive season that the Flames missed the playoffs.
Joonas Donskoi is a Finnish former professional ice hockey right wing. He was drafted 99th overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Kari Markus Granlund is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing with Genève-Servette HC of the National League (NL). After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, he elected to leave the KHL team Salavat Yulaev Ufa. He is a second-round selection of the Calgary Flames, taken 45th overall at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Granlund played two seasons in the SM-liiga for HIFK before moving to North America to join the Flames organization in 2013. His older brother Mikael plays in the NHL for the San Jose Sharks.
The 2011–12 Calgary Flames season was the 32nd season in Calgary and 40th for the Flames franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flames finished with a 37–29–16 record, finishing second in the Northwest Division and ninth in the Western Conference. The team failed to qualify for the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, the third consecutive year the team did not make the post-season.
Aleksander Aleksandrovich "Sasha" Barkov is a Finnish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Barkov was selected by the Panthers in the first round, second overall, of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. He is the son of former Russian ice hockey player Alexander Barkov Sr. and holds dual Finnish and Russian citizenship. Barkov is regarded as an elite two-way centre and one of the best defensive forwards in hockey, winning the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 2021 and 2024.
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↑ Russo, Michael (December 14, 2000). "Jokinen scratched again". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. p.5C. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
1 2 3 4 Farber, Michael (December 16, 2002). "Busting out". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
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