Jesse Joensuu

Jesse Joensuu (born October 5, 1987) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for Ässät in the Liiga. Joensuu is the captain of Ässät for the 2023–24 season.

Jesse Joensuu
Joensuu in December 2015
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
Liiga team
Former teams		 Ässät
New York Islanders
HV71
Edmonton Oilers
SC Bern
Jokerit
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]

Following seven seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League with Jokerit, Joensuu as a free agent opted to return to his original club, Ässät of the Liiga, on 8 April 2022.[9]

Personal life

Jesse Joensuu is the son of Finnish association football manager Jouni Joensuu.[10]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2002–03 Ässät FIN U18 26 8 10 18 53 3 1 2 3 0
2002–03 Ässät FIN U20 3 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
2003–04 Ässät FIN U18 2 2 0 2 2 — — — — —
2003–04 Ässät FIN U20 28 7 9 16 18 3 0 1 1 2
2003–04 Ässät SM-liiga 6 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2004–05 Ässät FIN U20 13 7 8 15 14 — — — — —
2004–05 Ässät SM-liiga 39 1 1 2 4 — — — — —
2005–06 Ässät SM-liiga 51 4 8 12 57 14 0 2 2 12
2005–06 Suomi U20 Mestis 2 1 0 1 12 — — — — —
2006–07 Ässät FIN U20 5 2 1 3 6 — — — — —
2006–07 Ässät SM-liiga 52 9 17 26 74 — — — — —
2006–07 Suomi U20 Mestis 2 0 2 2 6 — — — — —
2007–08 Ässät SM-liiga 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-liiga 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
2020–21 Jokerit KHL 44 11 9 20 36 4 0 1 1 4
2021–22 Jokerit KHL 32 2 4 6 24 — — — — —
2022–23 Ässät Liiga 60 9 10 19 48 8 3 0 3 4
Liiga totals 288 51 68 119 355 22 3 2 5 16
NHL totals 129 13 11 24 77 1 0 0 0 0
KHL totals 349 78 85 163 463 37 6 7 13 90

International
Medal record
Representing  Finland
Ice hockey
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 Slovakia
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Vancouver
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2004 Finland WJC18 7th 4 0 0 0 6
2005 Finland WJC 5th 6 1 0 1 2
2005 Finland WJC18 7th 6 2 1 3 0
2006 Finland WJC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 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. "Jesse Joensuu returns to Aces" (in Finnish). Ässät. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  10. "Pitkä polku parrasvaloihin" (in Finnish). Kaleva. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
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