Former Penguins forward Jussi Jokinen retires
Former Penguins forward Jussi Jokinen has retired from professional hockey.
The 38-year-old announced his retirement through his most recent team, Karpat of the Liiga, the top league in his native Finland.
A veteran of 13 NHL seasons, Jokinen spent part of the 2012-13 campaign and the entire 2013-14 season with the Penguins.
At the 2013 trade deadline, the Penguins acquired Jokinen in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes in part to serve as a temporary replacement for forward Sidney Crosby, who was sidelined with a jaw injury. In 10 games with the Penguins that season, Jokinen had 11 points (seven goals, four assists).
In 2013-14, Jokinen primarily played on the left wing of the team’s second line with Evgeni Malkin at center and James Neal on the right wing. As a result, Jokinen enjoyed a productive campaign with 57 points (21 goals, 36 assists) in 82 games.
In a video produced by Karpat, Jokinen lauded the Penguins and Malkin, in particular.
“In 2013, I got traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins,” Jokinen said. “In 2013 and 2014, we had a team to win the (Stanley) Cup, but we just couldn’t get it done. The Penguins are a special organization. They are all about winning, and they treat the players and their families with respect. I knew they were going to win the (Stanley) Cup soon, and even though I wasn’t part of the organization anymore, I was happy to see them win back-to-back (championships) in 2016 and 2017.
“I enjoyed getting to know, learning from and playing with two of the best players of my generation in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. With Malkin, I had probably the best chemistry on the ice of all the players that I played with.”
In addition to producing offense, Jokinen served as a mentor of sorts to 18-year-old rookie defenseman Olli Maatta, a fellow Finn.
Following the season, Jokinen joined the Florida Panthers as an unrestricted free agent.
In addition to the Penguins, Hurricanes and Panthers, Jokinen also played for the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks.
Appearing in 951 career NHL games, Jokinen had 563 points (191 goals, 372 assists).
Over his career, Jokinen was one of the NHL’s top shootout specialists, collecting 37 shootout goals, the 12th-best total in NHL history.
He spent parts or all of the past three seasons with Karpat.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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