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Jonathan Lekkerimäki

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Jonathan Lekkerimäki
Born (2004-07-24) 24 July 2004 (age 20)
Huddinge, Sweden
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 172 lb (78 kg; 12 st 4 lb)
Position Right wing
Shoots Right
NHL team (P)
Cur. team
Former teams
Vancouver Canucks
Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)
Djurgårdens IF
Örebro HK
NHL draft 15th overall, 2022
Vancouver Canucks
Playing career 2021–present

Jonathan Lekkerimäki (born 24 July 2004) is a Swedish professional ice hockey right winger for the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League (AHL) on loan as a prospect from the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 15th overall by the Canucks in the 2022 NHL entry draft.

Playing career

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Lekkerimäki made his professional debut for Djurgårdens IF during the 2021–22 season, where he recorded seven goals and two assists in 26 games. This made Lekkerimäki the second most-productive 17-year-old goal-scorer in SHL history after Peter Forsberg, who had seven goals in 23 games.[1] He also appeared in 26 games for Djurgårdens' J20 team where he recorded 20 goals and 15 assists. He missed the last month of the season due to mononucleosis.[2]

On 1 July 2022, Lekkerimäki was drafted in the second round, 70th overall, by the Vancouver Giants in the CHL Import Draft.[3] Opting to remain in Sweden and continue his development with Djurgårdens first season in the Allsvenskan in 2022–23, Lekkerimäki recorded three goals and six assists in 29 games before missing the remainder of the regular season due to injury. Returning for the playoffs, he recorded at a point-per-game pace through 15 games, before falling short of promotion to the SHL in a game 7 finals defeat to Modo Hockey.

On 6 May 2023, Lekkerimäki signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks.[4] In order to continue his progress in development, Lekkerimäki left Djurgårdens and signed a two-year contract with SHL club, Örebro HK, on loan from the Canucks on 16 May 2023.[5]

During the 2023–24 season, he recorded 19 goals and 12 assists in 46 games. Following the season he was named SHL Rookie of the Year,[6] won the Elite Prospects Award as top SHL junior-aged player,[7] and at the European Hockey Awards he won the Young Player of the Year Award.[8]

On 25 March 2024, he was assigned to the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL.[9]

International play

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Medal record
Representing  Sweden
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place 2024 Sweden
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Canada
World U18 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Germany

Lekkerimäki represented Sweden at the 2022 IIHF World U18 Championships where he led the tournament in scoring with five goals and ten assists in six games and won a gold medal.[1]

Lekkerimäki represented Sweden at the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships where he led the team in scoring and recorded seven goals and three assists in seven games and won a silver medal. He scored the game-winning-goal against Team Czechia to send Team Sweden to the gold medal game.[10] He was subsequently named tournament MVP.[11]

Personal life

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Lekkerimäki is of Finnish descent through his Finnish grandmother, who had moved to Sweden from Kuusamo, Finland, in the 1960s.[12]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2019–20 Djurgårdens IF J18 58 30 15 45 20
2020–21 Djurgårdens IF J18 8 12 4 16 0
2020–21 Djurgårdens IF J20 1 0 1 1 0
2021–22 Djurgårdens IF J20 26 20 15 35 8
2021–22 Djurgårdens IF SHL 26 7 2 9 0
2022–23 Djurgårdens IF J20 2 2 3 5 0
2022–23 Djurgårdens IF Allsv 29 3 6 9 4 15 5 10 15 2
2023–24 Örebro HK SHL 46 19 12 31 10 3 0 1 1 0
2023–24 Abbotsford Canucks AHL 6 1 1 2 0
SHL totals 72 26 14 40 10 3 0 1 1 0

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2021 Sweden HG18 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 5 5 0 5 4
2022 Sweden U18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 5 10 15 4
2022 Sweden WJC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 7 0 3 3 0
2023 Sweden WJC 4th 7 1 3 4 4
2024 Sweden WJC 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 7 7 3 10 0
Junior totals 32 18 19 37 12

Awards and honours

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Award Year Ref
SHL
Rookie of the Year 2024 [13]
International
World Junior Championship MVP 2024 [11]
World Junior Championship Media All-Star Team 2024

References

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  1. ^ a b Aykroyd, Lucas (26 April 2022). "Lekkerimaki shoots to thrill". IIHF.com. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  2. ^ Morreale, Mike G. (19 June 2022). "Top International skaters discussed ahead of 2022 NHL Draft". NHL.com. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Giants add 2 European Forwards at CHL Import Draft". vancouvergiants.com. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Canucks sign Jonathan Lekkerimäki to three-year, entry-level contract". Vancouver Canucks. 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Welcome, Jonathan Lekkerimäki" (in Swedish). Örebro HK. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  6. ^ Miller, Max (8 May 2024). "Canucks Prospects: Jonathan Lekkerimäki Headed Back To Abbotsford; Wins SHL Rookie Of The Year". The Hockey News. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Jonathan Lekkerimäki takes home 2024 Elite Prospects Award as top junior player in SHL". Elite Prospects. 1 May 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  8. ^ O'Brien, Derek (11 June 2024). "European Hockey Awards: Jonathan Lekkerimäki & Valtteri Filppula among winners". The Hockey News. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  9. ^ Miller, Max (25 March 2024). "Jonathan Lekkerimäki Joins Canucks In Abbotsford". The Hockey News. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  10. ^ Clipperton, Joshua (4 January 2024). "Canucks prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki leads Sweden over Czechia in world junior semis". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Lekkerimaki named MVP". IIHF.com. International Ice Hockey Federation. 5 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  12. ^ Kaikkonen, Janne (13 December 2019). "Suomi kohtaa Ruotsin viikonloppuna Kuusamossa - Alle 16-vuotiaiden maaottelu oppina paikallisillekin: "Tämä antaa junioreille perspektiiviä siitä missä alle 16-vuotiaissa huipulla mennään"". Koillissanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Årets Rookie 2023/24: Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Örebro". shl.se (in Swedish). 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
[edit]
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Vancouver Canucks first round draft pick
2022
Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the SHL Rookie of the Year award
2024
Succeeded by
Incumbent