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Finnish winger Jesse Joensuu was born on October 5, 1987, making the 6’4 and 194-pound forward three days younger than the American Phil Kessel and three months older than the Czech Michael Frolik.

Joensuu joined Frolik and Kessel as the three high touted 2006 NHL Entry Draft eligibles present at the 2005 World Junior Championships.

With one point (a goal), Joensuu was not as visible as the other two in this tournament. Nevertheless, apart the game against the Slovaks, he played a regular shift for the Finnish team.

The youngest player in the SM League

Joensuu currently plays for Assat Pori in the SM League in Finland. He is the youngest player of that first division league. In 2002, Joensuu was the MVP of the Pohjola Selection Camp. He was the City of Pori Future Sports Star in 2003. Among other awards, he was also the Assat Pori Junior Player of the Year 2002 and 2003.

After the game against Slovakia in Thief River Falls on December 27, he told Hockey’s Future how great the feeling was to play in this tournament.

"I didn’t have a lot of ice time tonight. Aki Seitsonen and I are sharing the role of the alternate winger. My own performance has not been so good, and as good as my coach expected," he commented.

While informed he was one of the main three 2006 eligible in this tournament, Joensuu said "It is a great thing to know, but I have to play better to really be one of those guys."

"He is a big 1987 born player," said the Finn coach Patri Matikainen after that game, adding that Joensuu has a good future for both the Finn national junior team and for the NHL.

"He can play an offensive game, he is strong with the puck and go to the net. However, he has to improve his defensive game to be a great hockey player," commented Matikainen.

A key role in a Sweden-Finland game

Against Sweden on December 29^th in Thief River Falls, Minn., the Finnish coach placed Joensuu on the first line along with Petteri Nokelainen and Lauri Tukonen. For those who know the ancestral rivalry of the Finnish and Sweden hockey teams and the importance of that game, it shows that a lot of confidence was placed by the Finnish coach on Joensuu.

Overall, he played an excellent game that afternoon. He kept to his man in the defensive zone and he played physically. In the third period, while his team trailed 4-2, Joenssu scored a power play goal en route to a Finnish 5-4 win. The Finns scored four unanswered goals in the third period to win that game.

"I can’t find words to describe the game and the feeling I have now, it is amazing," said Joensuu after the game.

"There were a lot of emotions on the ice, we fight hard to come back from behind."

Joensuu was very pleased for having scored his first ever goal in a WJC. "Every Finnish 1987-born hockey player would love to be here, it is a great place to be and you know, this is a big thing in our country to beat Sweden," declared Joensuu.

The young Finn player said that the last period of that game offered him the most emotions he ever felt up to now in his entire life.

Looking ahead

In the last game played by the Finn in the tournament, the deciding game for the fifth place overall against Sweden, though he wasn’t on the first line, the Finn coach showed again a lot of confidence in him.

He was on the ice with less than two minutes to play in the game while Finland was trailing by a goal. The Finns finally made the score even and the game went in overtime. Joensuu enjoyed again a dramatic victory over Sweden with a goal scored by Janne Kolehmainen with 1:37 played in OT. 

Joensuu may not have the pure scoring talent and speed of the American Kessel. He may also does not have yet the all-around skills of the Czech Frolik.

Nevertheless, he has a lot of qualities. He is only 17 and has a lot of time to develop and of those three, he is the one with the most size. And in the NHL, like it or not, size does matter. 

Simon Richard is the author of La Serie du siecle, Septembre 1972, a book about the Summit Series published in 2002.
Copyright 2005 Hockey’s Future. Do not duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.