After months of wondering, it appears we finally have an answer on whether or not Joonas Donskoi will return, and it appears he will not.
Donskoi posted on his Instagram page just about an hour ago that he will be retiring from the NHL due to the toll taken on his body by multiple concussions.
The transcript:
To Everybody who has supported me on and off the ice,
– Joonas and Devin Donskoi
After suffering multiple concussions over my career, I’ve decided to retire from professional hockey. It is extremely hard to let go of something you have put your whole life into, but at this point I know it is the right decision for my own wellbeing and future. I got to live my dream as an NHL player, which I’m extremely blessed and grateful for. I think I was able to reach my own potential, which was always my biggest goal.
It would not have been possible without so many people who helped me along the way. Thank you San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, and Seattle Kraken. It was an honour to be part of these 3 world class organizations, cities, and fanbases. To all my teammates, coaches, trainers, doctors, front offices, and fans; thank you for the best years of my life. I met so many great people and lifelong friends, on and off the ice.
Thank you to Steve and the whole Bartlett family for representing me throughout my NHL Career, and for helping me transition to life post-hockey.
Thank you to my wife, Devin. I don’t know where I’d be without you. I’ve been out of it many times over the past years, and you have stuck by me and supported me everyday. I am looking forward to putting our family first now.
Thank you to Everyone! Kiitos! Time for the Next Chapter.
Donskoi was first drafted by the Florida Panthers in 2010 but never actually signed by the team, and joined the NHL with the San Jose Sharks in 2015. He played admirably, quickly surpassing expectations for the club and stuck around as a mainstay before hitting the Free Agent market in 2019. He was most well known to that point for his monster shift in Game 3 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals, where he finally got the Sharks on the win column.
He joined the Colorado Avalanche for a couple of years before joining the Kraken as part of the 2021 Expansion Draft, where he played 75 games for the Deep. Famously, he was a player who seemed snakebitten in his time with Seattle, only netting two goals in 75 games, but having over 20 assists. Concussions however, as he mentioned, always seemed to follow his career, and the straw that broke the camel’s back happened back in preseason of last year, where he collided with Kole Lind and received yet another concussion, effectively deleting his chances of ever playing the season, and quickly swirling the concern on whether or not he would ever play again. He finishes his career with 208 NHL points.
We wish Joonas the very best in his post-playing career, and hope he enjoys retirement to the fullest!