| Jesse Joensuu | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Joensuu in December 2015 | |||
| Born | (1987-10-05)5 October 1987 (age 38) Pori, Finland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | New York Islanders HV71 Edmonton Oilers SC Bern Jokerit Ässät | ||
| National team |  Finland | ||
| NHL draft | 60th overall,2006 New York Islanders | ||
| Playing career | 2004–2024 | ||
Jesse Matias Joensuu (born 5 October 1987) is aFinnish former professionalice hockey winger who finished his career withPorin Ässät of theSM-liiga. Joensuu served as the team's captain for the 2023–24 season.
Joensuu has previously played for theNew York Islanders and theEdmonton Oilers in theNational Hockey League (NHL)
Joensuu, who previously played inÄssät's junior teams, played his professionalSM-liiga debut with Ässät againstSaiPa in September 2003 when he was only 15 years old. In his debut season, Joensuu played in six games with the representative team. In the following season, Joensuu had an almost constant spot as a winger in the fourth line and he played 39 matches, in which he scored one goal and assisted one. Although the expected quick breakthrough did not come, Joensuu's role in the Ässät team grew year by year.
The NHL clubNew York Islanders drafted Joensuu in the second round of the 2006 draft at number 60. In 2007, the Islanders sent a coach to Pori to refine Joensuu's skating technique with private lessons.
In his last SM-liiga season (2007–08), the now 20-year-old Joensuu lived up to expectations and scored plenty of points despite the Ässät's placement at the bottom of the league. Joensuu was also chosen once as the best young player in the SM-liiga. After selling the team's number one center,Toni Häppölä, Joensuu became Ässät's best scorer.
After his season with Ässät, Joensuu played one game with theBridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders'American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.
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In the spring of 2008, Joensuu signed a three-year contract with the Islanders. Joensuu started the 2008–09 season on the affiliate team in Bridgeport in the AHL, although he managed to appear in a few training games in the Islanders' jersey. Joensuu was placed into the Islanders lineup on March 2, 2009 for a match against the Colorado Avalanche in which scored a goal in his first NHL game.
In the 2010–2011 season, Joensuu finally played more games in the NHL than in the AHL, despite his two-way contract. He made his season debut with the Islanders on November 20 in a home game in a losing cause against theFlorida Panthers. He received a two-way contract offer from the Islanders in order for the Islanders to retain his player rights.
On 1 July 2011, Joensuu left the Islanders organization as a restricted free agent and signed a two-year deal withSwedish clubHV71 of theElitserien. With the intention of developing his offense as a power forward Joensuu scored 29 points in 50 games during the2011–12 season.
Joensuu, with a clause for release from HV71 to the NHL, opted a return to the Islanders on a one-year deal on 15 June 2012. With the impending2012–13 NHL lockout taking affect, Joensuu signed a contract for the duration of the dispute with hometown team Ässät on 18 September 2012.[1] At the end of the SM-liiga season, Ässät won theKanada-malja championship.
On 5 July 2013, Joensuu signed as a free agent to a two-year contract to return to the NHL with theEdmonton Oilers. During the final season of his contract in2014–15 season, and unable to secure a position on the checking lines of the struggling Oilers, Joensuu was loaned toSwiss club,SC Bern on 12 December 2014, for the remainder of the campaign.
For the 2015–2016 season, Joensuu signed a two-year contract with theKHL teamJokerit. In November 2016, Joensuu signed a three-year contract extension with the club that lasted until spring 2020. In April 2020, Joensuu signed a two-year contract extension with the team.
In April 2022, Jesse Joensuu's hometown club Porin Ässät announced that they had signed a two-year contract with Joensuu.[2] He became the Ässät captain. Joensuu played a full season of 60 games and scored 19 points.
Joensuu continued as the captain of Ässät for the 2023–24 SM-liiga season. After the team's season ended, Joensuu announced his retirement.[3]
Joensuu played football forMusan Salama as a junior.[4] He is the son of Finnishassociation football managerJouni Joensuu.[5]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2002–03 | Porin Ässät | FIN U18 | 26 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 53 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Porin Ässät | FIN U20 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Porin Ässät | FIN U18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Porin Ässät | FIN U20 | 28 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2003–04 | Porin Ässät | SM-liiga | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Porin Ässät | FIN U20 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Porin Ässät | SM-liiga | 39 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Porin Ässät | SM-liiga | 51 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 57 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | ||
| 2005–06 | FInland U20 | Mestis | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Porin Ässät | FIN U20 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Porin Ässät | SM-liiga | 52 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 74 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Suomi U20 | Mestis | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Porin 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 | Porin 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 | Porin Ässät | SM-liiga | 60 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 48 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | ||
| SM-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 | ||||
| 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 | WJC | 5th | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2005 | Finland | WJC18 | 7th | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| 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 | ||||
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Porin Ässät captain 2022–2024 | Succeeded by TBD |