Olli Jokinen

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Olli Jokinen
A man in a red hockey uniform with white, yellow and black trim and a stylized "C" logo stares forward.
Born (1978-12-05) December 5, 1978 (age 34)
Kuopio, FIN
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb)
Position Centre
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Winnipeg Jets
NHL
Los Angeles Kings
New York Islanders
Florida Panthers
Phoenix Coyotes
New York Rangers
Calgary Flames
SM-l
HIFK
KalPa
SEL
Södertälje SK
NLA
EHC Kloten
National team  Finland
NHL Draft 3rd overall, 1997
Los Angeles Kings
Playing career 1995–present

Olli Jokinen (born December 5, 1978) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player currently an alternate captain for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Los Angeles Kings third overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft with whom he made his NHL debut. He has also played for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames and New York Rangers. He began his professional career with KalPa and then HIFK of the Finnish SM-liiga. Additionally, he played for EHC Kloten of the Swiss National League A and Södertälje SK of the Swedish Elitserien. He also holds the records for most points and goals for the Panthers.

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 Panthers, with whom he served as captain from 2003 to 2008 and played in the 2003 All-Star Game. Jokinen played almost 800 NHL games before making his first playoff appearance in 2009; in 2012, he played his 1,000th game.

Internationally, Jokinen has played for Finland on numerous occasions. He was an all-star and named best forward of the 1998 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, leading his nation to the gold medal. He is a three-time Olympian, winning a silver medal at the 2006 Turin Games and bronze at the 2010 Vancouver Games. He has won two silver and three bronze medals at the World Championships and played for the Finnish team that finished second to Canada at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

Contents

Playing career [edit]

Finland [edit]

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]

The National Hockey League (NHL)'s Central Scouting Bureau rated Jokinen as the top European prospect for the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. He was selected by the Los Angeles Kings with the third overall selection, after Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.[3] He began the 1997–98 season with the Kings, making his NHL debut on October 1, 1997, against the Pittsburgh Penguins.[2] He was held pointless in eight games, however, and the Kings chose to return him to HIFK to complete the season.[4]

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.

Los Angeles and the New York Islanders [edit]

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 8 points in 11 games.[2] He finished the season with 21 points in 66 games played.[1] Following 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.[6]

Jokinen played only one season on the Island. He appeared in all 82 games for the Islanders, scoring 21 points.[1] However, he was included in a trade at the 2000 NHL Draft as he was packaged with goaltender Roberto Luongo and sent to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha on June 24, 2000.[7]

Florida Panthers [edit]

A man with short hair stares forward. He is in full hockey gear and wearing a red uniform with yellow, white and black trim and a stylized "C" logo on the chest
Jokinen warming up prior to a game

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 NHL season.[8] 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.[9]

The 2002–03 season proved to be Jokinen's breakout year. Playing under new 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.[10] He equaled his previous career high of 29 points in the 26th game of the season,[9] and finished with a team-leading 36 goals and 65 points.[2] Additionally, he played in his first NHL All-Star Game.[11] Jokinen credited his turnaround to coach Mike 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 Murray.[9]

Jokinen had been named an alternate captain of the Panthers prior to the 2002–03 season,[9] 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 NHL season was wiped out by 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 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.[12] Zedník was nearly killed by the cut and missed the remainder of the season, though he recovered and was able to resume his career.[13]

Jokinen was the subject of trade rumours throughout the season as the Panthers, who had failed to make the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, looked at ways of improving their club.[14] 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.[15] 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 [edit]

A man in a red hockey uniform accepts a silver stick from another man in a grey suit as his wife and three young daughters stand beside.
Jokinen is presented with a silver stick in honour of his 1,000th game as his family looks on

The 2008–09 NHL season began well for Jokinen, as he recorded 18 points in his first 21 games with the Coyotes. However, a shoulder injury suffered in November 2008 caused him to miss a game for the first time since 2002–03, ending his streak of consecutive games played at 397.[16] 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.[17]

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 10 points in his first six games, and was named the NHL's second star of the week for March 9–15.[2] However, he fell into a offensive slump toward the end of the season, failing to score in Calgary's last 13 regular season games. However, for the first time in his ten-year NHL career, and after 799 NHL games, Jokinen played in the Stanley Cup playoffs.[18] 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.[19] 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.[20] 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 Christopher Higgins, who had similarly disappointing seasons in New York.[21]

The deal generated controversy after Canadian channel The Sports Network (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."[22] 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.[23]

A free agent following the season, Jokinen chose to return to the Flames, signing a two-year, $6 million contract.[24] The deal generated a strong reaction in Calgary as some fans expressed strong opinions against his reacquisition.[25] Flames' 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.[26]

Jokinen appeared in his 1,000th NHL game on January 1, 2012, a 5–3 loss to the Nashville Predators.

Winnipeg Jets [edit]

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.[27]

International career [edit]

Medal record
Ice Hockey
Competitor for  Finland
Olympic Games
Silver 2006 Turin
Bronze 2010 Vancouver
World Championships
Silver 1998 Switzerland
Silver 1999 Norway
Bronze 2000 Russia
Bronze 2006 Latvia
Bronze 2008 Canada
World Cup
Silver 2004 Toronto
World Junior Championships
Gold 1998 Finland

Jokinen has represented Finland his native country on numerous occasions. He first played with the Finnish national junior team at the under-18 level in the 1996 European Junior Championship. He joined the under-20 team one year later for the 1997 World Junior Championship, scoring five goals in six games.[1] He made his debut with the senior team that same year, finishing second in team scoring with six points in eight games at the 1997 World Championship.[2]

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.[28] 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.[29]

Jokinen made his Olympic debut at the 2002 Games where he scored two goals in four games,[1] but Finland was eliminated by Canada in the quarterfinals, and finished in sixth place.[30] 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.[31] The Finns were again defeated by Canada.

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.[32][33] He and his teammates had to settle for silver, however, following a 3–2 loss to rival Sweden in the final.[34] Jokinen won a bronze medal at his third Olympics, the 2010 Vancouver Games. He scored two goals, including the game winner, in a 4–3 victory over Slovakia in the third place game.[35]

Off the ice [edit]

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,[36] and have three daughters. His older brother, Ville, played 47 games in SM-liiga, scoring four points.[37]

Career statistics [edit]

Regular season and playoffs [edit]

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1995–96 KalPa SM-l 15 1 1 2 2 — — — — —
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 — — — — —
1999–00 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 — — — — —
NHL totals 1087 299 398 697 981 6 2 3 5 4
SM-l totals 109 34 64 99 132 14 9 2 11 26
NLA totals 8 6 1 7 22 — — — — —
SEL totals 23 13 9 22 52 — — — — —
Statistics updated to the end of the 2012–13 season

International play [edit]

Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM Team result
1996 Finland EJC 5 5 2 7 2 Silver medal
1997 Finland WJC 6 5 0 5 12 Fifth place
1997 Finland WC 8 4 2 6 6 Fifth place
1998 Finland WJC 7 4 6 10 6 Gold medal
1998 Finland WC 10 0 1 1 6 Silver medal
1999 Finland WC 10 3 1 4 14 Silver medal
2000 Finland WC 9 1 3 4 6 Bronze medal
2002 Finland Oly 4 2 1 3 0 Sixth place
2002 Finland WC 9 1 1 2 4 Fourth place
2004 Finland WC 7 5 3 8 6 Sixth place
2004 Finland WCH 6 2 1 3 6 Second place
2005 Finland WC 7 1 4 5 2 Seventh place
2006 Finland Oly 8 6 2 8 2 Silver medal
2006 Finland WC 5 2 1 3 27 Bronze medal
2008 Finland WC 8 1 4 5 29 Bronze medal
2010 Finland Oly 6 3 1 4 2 Bronze medal
Junior totals 18 14 8 22 20
Senior totals 104 32 27 59 118

Awards [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Olli Jokinen profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hanlon, Peter; Kelso, Sean; Ahrens, Janette; Buer, Greg (2011). 2011–12 Calgary Flames Media Guide. Calgary Flames Hockey Club. pp. 77–78. 
  3. ^ Elliott, Helene (1997-06-22). "Kings play it aggressively with Jokinen". Los Angeles Times. p. C5. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  4. ^ White, Lonnie (1997-11-07). "Jokinen sent to Finnish team". Los Angeles Times. p. C12. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  5. ^ Meltzer, Bill (2011-04-20). "HIFK ends Finnish championship drought". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  6. ^ El-Bashir, Tarik (1999-06-21). "Palffy goes to Kings; Isles get prospects". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  7. ^ Lapointe, Joe (2000-06-25). "Islanders draft a goalie and make 3 big trades". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  8. ^ Russo, Michael (2000-12-14). "Jokinen scratched again". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. p. 5C. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  9. ^ a b c d Farber, Michael (2002-12-16). "Busting out". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  10. ^ Allen, Kevin (2002-11-07). "Finland's Jokinen finally doing it at the right time". USA Today. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  11. ^ "Jokinen joins east team for All-Star Game". Miami Herald. 2003-01-28. p. 1D. 
  12. ^ "Zednik's neck is sliced by teammate's skate". New York Times. 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  13. ^ "Zednik back on ice after 7 months". Miami Herald. 2008-09-10. p. D1. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  14. ^ Biggane, Brian (2008-06-03). "Ex-Leafs coach Maurice on Martin's list". Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  15. ^ Gintonio, Jim (2008-06-21). "Coyotes trade for Jokinen". Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  16. ^ "Phoenix center Jokinen to miss at least two weeks with shoulder injury". ESPN. 2008-11-28. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  17. ^ Wilke, Jim (2009-04-05). "Point Shots: Recapping the trade deadline". ESPN. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  18. ^ "Flames' Jokinen set for playoff debut". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  19. ^ Campbell, Ken (2008-11-05). "Charron knows Jokinen’s pain". The Hockey News. Retrieved 2010-07-03. 
  20. ^ Francis, Eric (2010-04-08). "Jokinen deal started downhill slide". Calgary Sun. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  21. ^ Obernauer, Michael (2010-02-02). "New York Rangers get Calgary Flames center Olli Jokinen for Ales Kotalik". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  22. ^ Cruickshank, Scott (2010-01-31). "Flames finally pull trigger on controversial Jokinen trade". Calgary Herald (Global TV Calgary). Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  23. ^ Klein, Jeff Z. (2010-04-11). "Rangers season extended, but only by 3 shots". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  24. ^ "Jokinen deal to protect Flames from injury". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2010-07-02. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  25. ^ Gross, Dave (2010-07-02). "Angry Flames fans blow their tops". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  26. ^ Hall, Vicki (2011-10-06). "Flames’ Jokinen back with clear mission". National Post. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  27. ^ "Jets agree to terms with Olli Jokinen". Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club. 2012-06-02. Retrieved 2012-06-02.  Text "WPG" ignored (help); Text "home" ignored (help)
  28. ^ 2012 World Junior Championship Official Game Program. Hockey Canada. 2011. pp. 141–142. 
  29. ^ IIHF Guide & Record Book 2012. Fenn/M&S. 2011. p. 403. 
  30. ^ Podnieks, Andrew. Canada's Olympic Hockey History 1920–2010. Toronto: Fenn Publishing. pp. 190–193. ISBN 1-55168-323-7. 
  31. ^ "Canada, Finland set for WCH final". WPXI. 2004-09-14. Retrieved 2012-01-08. 
  32. ^ "2006 Winter Olympics – Player statistics by team – Finland" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. 2006-02-26. Retrieved 2012-01-08. 
  33. ^ Burnside, Scott (2006-02-24). "Finland's teamwork exposes another Olympic favorite". ESPN. Retrieved 2012-01-08. 
  34. ^ "2006 Olympic Men Tournament". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 2012-01-08. 
  35. ^ Condor, Bob (2010-02-28). "Power play helps rally Finland to bronze". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2012-01-08. 
  36. ^ Hyttinen, Kati (2008-12-05). "Katerina Jokisen lätkäelämää Floridassa" (in Finnish). MTV3.fi. Retrieved 2012-01-08. 
  37. ^ "Ville Jokinen – player profile and career stats". Eurohockey.net. 2007-07-09. Retrieved 2010-07-03. 

External links [edit]

Preceded by
Pavel Bure
Paul Laus		 Florida Panthers captain
2003–08		 Succeeded by
Bryan McCabe
Preceded by
Aki Berg		 Los Angeles Kings first round draft pick
1997		 Succeeded by
Matt Zultek
Preceded by
Jani Hurme		 Winner of the Jarmo Wasama memorial trophy
1996–97		 Succeeded by
Pasi Puistola
Preceded by
Kimmo Timonen		 Winner of the Matti Keinonen trophy
1997–98		 Succeeded by
Brian Rafalski
Preceded by
Otakar Janecky		 Winner of the Jari Kurri trophy
1997–98		 Succeeded by
Miikka Kiprusoff
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