Jonathan Lekkerimäki
Jonathan Lekkerimäki | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Huddinge, Sweden | 24 July 2004||
Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
Weight | 172 lb (78 kg; 12 st 4 lb) | ||
Position | Right wing | ||
Shoots | Right | ||
NHL team (P) Cur. team Former teams |
Vancouver Canucks Abbotsford Canucks (AHL) Djurgårdens IF Örebro HK | ||
NHL draft |
15th overall, 2022 Vancouver Canucks | ||
Playing career | 2021–present |
Jonathan Lekkerimäki (born 24 July 2004) is a Swedish professional ice hockey right winger for Örebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) on loan as a prospect from the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 15th overall by the Canucks in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing career[edit]
Lekkerimäki made his professional debut for Djurgårdens IF during the 2021–22 season, where he recorded seven goals and two assists in 26 games. This made Lekkerimäki the second most-productive 17-year-old goal-scorer in SHL history after Peter Forsberg, who had seven goals in 23 games.[1] He also appeared in 26 games for Djurgårdens' J20 team where he recorded 20 goals and 15 assists. He missed the last month of the season due to mononucleosis.[2]
On 1 July 2022, Lekkerimäki was drafted in the second round, 70th overall, by the Vancouver Giants in the CHL Import Draft.[3] Opting to remain in Sweden and continue his development with Djurgårdens first season in the Allsvenskan in 2022–23, Lekkerimäki produced 9 points through 29 games before missing the remainder of the regular season due to injury. Returning for the playoffs, Lekkerimäki produced at a point-per-game pace through 15 games, before falling short of promotion to the SHL in a game 7 finals defeat to Modo Hockey.
On 6 May 2023, Lekkerimäki was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks.[4] In order to continue his progress in development, Lekkerimäki left Djurgårdens and signed a two-year contract with SHL club, Örebro HK, on loan from the Canucks on 16 May 2023.[5]
International play[edit]
Medal record | ||
---|---|---|
Representing Sweden | ||
Ice hockey | ||
World Junior Championships | ||
2024 Sweden | ||
2022 Canada | ||
World U18 Championships | ||
2022 Germany |
Lekkerimäki represented Sweden at the 2022 IIHF World U18 Championships where he led the tournament in scoring with five goals and ten assists in six games and won a gold medal.[1]
Lekkerimäki represented Sweden at the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships where he led the team in scoring and recorded seven goals and three assists in seven games and won a silver medal. He scored the game-winning-goal against Team Czechia to send Team Sweden to the gold medal game.[6] He was subsequently named tournament MVP.[7]
Personal life[edit]
Lekkerimäki is of Finnish descent through his Finnish grandmother, who had moved to Sweden from Kuusamo, Finland, in the 1960s.[8]
Career statistics[edit]
Regular season and playoffs[edit]
Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
2019–20 | Djurgårdens IF | J18 | 58 | 30 | 15 | 45 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2020–21 | Djurgårdens IF | J18 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2020–21 | Djurgårdens IF | J20 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2021–22 | Djurgårdens IF | J20 | 26 | 20 | 15 | 35 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2021–22 | Djurgårdens IF | SHL | 26 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2022–23 | Djurgårdens IF | J20 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2022–23 | Djurgårdens IF | Allsv | 29 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 2 | ||
2023–24 | Örebro HK | SHL | 46 | 19 | 12 | 31 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
SHL totals | 72 | 26 | 14 | 40 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
International[edit]
Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Sweden | HG18 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 4 | ||
2022 | Sweden | U18 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 4 | ||
2022 | Sweden | WJC | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||
2023 | Sweden | WJC | 4th | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | |
2024 | Sweden | WJC | 7 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 0 | ||
Junior totals | 32 | 18 | 19 | 37 | 12 |
Awards and honours[edit]
Award | Year | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|
International | |||
World Junior Championship MVP | 2024 | [7] | |
World Junior Championship Media All-Star Team | 2024 |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Aykroyd, Lucas (26 April 2022). "Lekkerimaki shoots to thrill". IIHF.com. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ Morreale, Mike G. (19 June 2022). "Top International skaters discussed ahead of 2022 NHL Draft". NHL.com. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ "Giants add 2 European Forwards at CHL Import Draft". vancouvergiants.com. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ "Canucks sign Jonathan Lekkerimäki to three-year, entry-level contract". Vancouver Canucks. 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ "Welcome, Jonathan Lekkerimäki" (in Swedish). Örebro HK. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
- ^ Clipperton, Joshua (4 January 2024). "Canucks prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki leads Sweden over Czechia in world junior semis". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Lekkerimaki named MVP". IIHF.com. International Ice Hockey Federation. 5 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Kaikkonen, Janne (13 December 2019). "Suomi kohtaa Ruotsin viikonloppuna Kuusamossa - Alle 16-vuotiaiden maaottelu oppina paikallisillekin: "Tämä antaa junioreille perspektiiviä siitä missä alle 16-vuotiaissa huipulla mennään"". Koillissanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 20 December 2023.
External links[edit]
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or The Internet Hockey Database