Joonas Donskoi got his start in the NHL by being drafted by the Florida Panthers with the 99th overall pick (4th round) in 2010.
He never signed with them, however, and ended up signing his entry-level with the San Jose Sharks.
There, he played a big role as a depth forward and helped them make it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016. They were defeated there by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He had two years with the Colorado Avalanche after his tenure with the Sharks ended. There, he had tons of success including being a part of a President’s Trophy-winning team.
Joonas Donskoi made a stop with the expansion Seattle Kraken in 2021-22.
In the summer of 2021, he was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 Expansion Draft. He represented their pick from the Avalanche.
Following that, he got to play the inaugural season with the Kraken but his goal-scoring was off by a lot. His assists totals were about on par with his career averages but he only scored twice.
Then, he missed all of last year after sustaining a concussion in the pre-season. Concussions had been a problem for him a lot in his career.
Now, he has announced his retirement from the NHL as a result of these concussions adding up. It is an early retirement as he is just 31 years old but he is smart to put his overall health and life first.
Via Instagram, Joonas Donskoi — who played 474 NHL games for San Jose, Colorado & Seattle — announces his retirement. Donskoi suffered a concussion in the 2022-23 preseason and did not play in the regular season. pic.twitter.com/1L9lK9j5dT
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 28, 2023
Donskoi finishes his career with 80 goals and 128 assists for 208 points in 474 points. It was a nice little run for him as he made a name for himself. The teams he played for were better for having him.
He made this announcement on his Instagram where so many people are going to see it and send their well wishes.
Players like Donskoi are needed in the NHL as you can’t win without guys in the bottom six contributing in both the regular season and the playoffs. Most of the teams he played on were good for a reason.
Hopefully, Donskoi can find a passion either inside of hockey or outside that helps him be happy for the rest of his life. He will always be remembered fondly in the NHL world.