Carolina Hurricanes Fan Favorites: Jussi Jokinen
After some early career success, Jussi Jokinen went into a prolonged slump. In 2009, he landed with the Carolina Hurricanes and experienced a rebirth.
This is the third entry in the ‘Carolina Hurricanes Fan Favorites’ series; you can check out the earlier entries on Sergei Samsonov and Arturs Irbe.
Jussi Jokinen broke into the NHL at the perfect time. Fresh off of a lockout that wiped out an entire season, the league introduced a series of new rules with the intent on increasing offense and allowing star players to shine. One of the most controversial changes was the introduction of the shootout.
Enter Jokinen.
The 2005-06 season—the first after the lockout—was Jokinen’s rookie campaign and the Finnish center quickly developed a reputation as a shootout specialist. He took 13 shots in the game-deciding session through the year, scoring on 10 of them for a 76.9% conversion. That was the best number of anyone in the shootout that season (who took a minimum of 10 shots).
The 22-year-old finished the season with 55 points (17 goals, 38 assists) in 81 games, giving the Dallas Stars a budding, well, star. The following season saw Jokinen post 14 goals and 48 points in 82 games; a slight dip, but nothing too alarming.
The 2007-08 season looked to be a bounce-back year, with Jokinen’s points per game up from the year before. He would, unfortunately, be temporarily by a sprained knee in late December, an injury that sidelined him for a month.
As it turned out, he wouldn’t get much of a chance to rebound in Dallas, as he was shipped off to the Tampa Bay Lightning in late February of 2008. He went on to record 30 points in 66 games with the Lightning over parts of two seasons but, for whatever reason, seemed unable to regain the scoring touch he had shown earlier in his career.
A(nother) fresh start
When Jokinen was traded to Tampa—as a key piece in the deal that sent Brad Richards to Dallas—the hope was that he could build on the offense success that he had earlier in his career. Unfortunately, for both Jokinen and the Lightning, that never happened.
While Richards went on to have a strong stint in the Lone Star State, Jokinen failed to surpass 30 points during his time in Florida. On February 7, 2009—less than a year after his arrival, he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for Wade Brookbank and Josef Melichar, neither of whom were parts of Carolina’s core.
Over 25 games with the Hurricanes, Jokinen put up 1 goal and 10 assists, not setting the world on fire but still an improvement over where he had been in Tampa Bay. The Hurricanes returned to the postseason for the first time since their 2006 championship and Jokinen’s talent came to the fore.
In 18 games that playoff year, Jokinen put up 7 goals and 4 assists as well as playing a key role in what became known as “The Shock at the Rock.” The Hurricanes opened the playoffs facing a familiar foe in Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. The teams proved to be evenly matched and the series went to a decisive Game 7.
[@RexHealthcare 20th Anniversary Team: Jussi Jokinen]
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) February 11, 2018
"As smart a player as you will find, Jussi Jokinen possesses a very particular set of skills." pic.twitter.com/U2RRSsQw6x
Trailing 3-2 late in the third period, the Hurricanes went on the attack and kept the pressure high. Tim Gleason went to his knees to keep the puck in, feeding it to Joni Pitkanen who found Jokinen at the bottom of the circle. Jokinen, in turn, fired a shot past Brodeur, tying the game at 3. Eric Staal added the game-winner 48 seconds later, sending Carolina to the second round.
A resurgence and a fall
The 2009-10 season—his first full campaign with the Hurricanes—saw Jokinen set career highs in goals (30) and points (65). The team, however, suffered a 17 point setback in the standings and missed the playoffs for the third time in four years.
A series of injuries held Jokinen to 70 games during the 2010-11 season, though he still posted 19 goals and 52 points. The Hurricanes gained 11 points in the standings over the previous year but it wasn’t enough to earn them a return to the postseason.
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The injury bug returned during the 2011-12 campaign but—thankfully—only cost Jokinen 3 games. His production, however, slipped. By season’s end, Jokinen sat with 46 points (12 goals, 34 assists). The season was a trying one for him, exemplified by a 25 game goal-scoring drought that he suffered through. Again, the Hurricanes regressed and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
The 2012-13 season didn’t start well for Jokinen, who failed to record a point through the first 9 games. His production did pick up, though he endured a pointless streak of 6 games in March. Then, on April 3, 2013, Jokinen was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a conditional draft pick.
Jokinen played well for the Penguins before moving on to a very productive stint with the Florida Panthers. He rounded out his NHL career with stops in Edmonton, Los Angeles, Columbus, and Vancouver.
What’s your favorite Jussi Jokinen memory? Who would you like to see featured in a future ‘Fan Favorites’ entry?
Next. Hurricanes sign David and Jason Cotton to ELCs. dark