Jesse Joensuu

Jesse Joensuu (born October 5, 1987) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for Jokerit in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Jesse Joensuu
Joensuu with the Edmonton Oilers, in September 2014
Born	(1987-10-05) October 5, 1987 Pori, Finland
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position	Left Wing
Shoots	Left
KHL team Former teams	Jokerit Ässät New York Islanders HV71 Edmonton Oilers SC Bern
National team	Finland
NHL Draft	60th overall, 2006 New York Islanders
Playing career	2004–present

Playing career

Joensuu was selected 60th overall in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders. Joensuu played parts of five seasons with hometown team Ässät of the SM-liiga, starting off as a 16-year-old in 2003–04. This made him the youngest player in the history of the Finnish professional ice-hockey league.

His best season came in 2007–08, when he had 17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points, leading the team in scoring. After his season in Finland, Joensuu played one game with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders' American Hockey League affiliate. In the 2008–09 season Jesse played primarily with the Sound Tigers finishing fifth on Bridgeport in scoring with 39 points. On March 2, 2009, Joensuu made his NHL debut, and scored his first NHL goal, as member of the Islanders in a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche.[1]

Joensuu began the 2010–11 season in the AHL. He played 16 games for the Islanders top affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, before being recalled to the NHL on November 19, 2010. He made his season debut with the Islanders on November 20 in a home game in a losing cause against the Florida Panthers.[2]

On July 1, 2011, Joensuu left the Islanders organization as a restricted free agent and signed a two-year deal with Swedish club HV71 of the Elitserien.[3] With the intention of developing his offense as a power forward Joensuu scored 29 points in 50 games during the 2011–12 season.

Joensuu, with a clause for release from HV71 to the NHL, opted a return to the Islanders on a one-year deal on June 15, 2012.[4] With the impending 2012–13 NHL lockout taking affect, Joensuu signed a contract for the duration of the dispute with hometown team Ässät on September 18, 2012.[5]

On July 5, 2013, Joensuu signed as a free agent to a two-year contract to return to the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers.[6] During the final season of his contract in 2014–15 season, and unable to secure a position on the checking lines of the struggling Oilers, Joensuu was loaned to Swiss club, SC Bern on December 12, 2014, for the remainder of the campaign.[7]

On April 23, 2015 it was announced by Jokerit that Joensuu had signed a two-year free agent deal with the club competing in the KHL.[8]

Personal life

Jesse Joensuu is the son of Finnish association football manager Jouni Joensuu.[9]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2003–04	Ässät	SM-l		6	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Ässät	SM-l		39	1	1	2	4		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Ässät	SM-l		51	4	8	12	57		14	0	2	2	12
2006–07	Ässät	SM-l		52	9	17	26	74		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Ässät	SM-l		56	17	18	35	89		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Bridgeport Sound Tigers	AHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Bridgeport Sound Tigers	AHL		70	20	19	39	58		5	2	1	3	4
2008–09	New York Islanders	NHL		7	1	2	3	4		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Bridgeport Sound Tigers	AHL		70	14	34	48	66		5	0	2	2	6
2009–10	New York Islanders	NHL		11	1	0	1	4		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Bridgeport Sound Tigers	AHL		35	8	16	24	31		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	New York Islanders	NHL		42	6	3	9	33		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	HV71	SEL		50	13	16	29	58		6	2	1	3	37
2012–13	Ässät	SM-l		24	11	14	25	83		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	New York Islanders	NHL		7	0	2	2	6		1	0	0	0	0
2013–14	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		42	3	2	5	16		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		20	2	2	4	14		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	SC Bern	NLA		15	2	5	7	30		8	2	1	3	8
2015–16	Jokerit	KHL		54	9	16	25	70		6	2	3	5	54
2016–17	Jokerit	KHL		50	15	13	28	90		4	0	0	0	10
2017–18	Jokerit	KHL		49	7	9	16	64		11	2	2	4	10
2018–19	Jokerit	KHL		60	19	18	37	83		6	1	0	1	6
2019–20	Jokerit	KHL		60	15	16	31	96		6	1	1	2	6
Liiga totals				228	42	58	100	307		14	0	2	2	12
NHL totals				129	13	11	24	77		1	0	0	0	0
KHL totals				273	65	72	137	403		33	6	6	12	86

International

Medal record
Representing  Finland
Ice hockey
World Championships
	2011 Slovakia
World Junior Championships
	2006 Vancouver

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2004	Finland	WJC18	7th		4	0	0	0	6
2005	Finland	WJC18	7th		6	2	1	3	0
2005	Finland	WJC	5th		6	1	0	1	2
2006	Finland	WJC			7	2	2	4	8
2007	Finland	WJC	6th		6	1	1	2	14
2012	Finland	WC	4th		9	2	3	5	24
Junior totals					29	6	4	10	30
Senior totals					9	2	3	5	24

References

1. "Joensuu nets first goal in debut to fuel Islanders". CBS Sports. 2009-03-02. Archived from the original on 2012-10-12. Retrieved 2010-03-14.
2. "Isles drop 12th in a row, losing 4-1 to Florida". National Hockey League. 2010-11-20. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
3. "HV71 recruits from the NHL". hockeysverige.se (in Swedish). 2011-07-01. Retrieved 2011-07-01.
4. "Islanders agree to terms with Joensuu". New York Islanders. 2012-06-15. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
5. "Lion hero Jesse Joensuu returns to Pori" (in Finnish). Ässät. 2012-09-18. Archived from the original on 2012-09-22. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
6. "Oilers sign Jesse Joensuu to two-year deal". Edmonton Journal. 2013-07-05. Retrieved 2013-07-05.
7. "Oilers transfer Joensuu". Edmonton Oilers. 2014-12-12. Retrieved 2014-12-12.
8. "Joensuu brings power to the attack" (in Finnish). Helsinki Jokerit. 2015-04-23. Retrieved 2015-05-15.
9. "Pitkä polku parrasvaloihin" (in Finnish). Kaleva. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2013.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database