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Joonas Donskoi revealed he is retiring from the NHL after “suffering several concussions” over his seven-year profession.
” It is incredibly tough to let go of something you have actually put your entire life into, however at this moment I understand it’s the ideal choice for my own well being and future,” the 31- year-old composed on Instagram.
Donskoi has actually not played in the NHL because suffering the seventh concussion of his profession in September 2022.
Donskoi, a local of Finland, went to the Stanley Cup Finals with the San Jose Sharks throughout his novice 2015-16 season.
After 4 seasons with the Sharks, Donskoi bet the Colorado Avalanche till the Seattle Kraken picked him in the 2021 growth draft. He will complete his NHL profession having actually tape-recorded 208 points in 474 profession video games.
With the Sharks, it did not take wish for Donskoi to go beyond the expectations set by his status as a 2010 fourth-round draft choice whose rights had actually been stopped by the Florida Panthers.
After making a regular-season lineup area, Donskoi played an essential function in assisting San Jose advance to the very first Stanley Cup Finals in franchise history.
Donskoi taped 11 points through the very first 20 video games of the postseason, then scored in overtime of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final to cut the Pittsburgh Penguins’ series cause 2-1.
” I believe I had the ability to reach my own capacity, which was constantly my greatest objective,” Donskoi composed in his retirement statement.
Donskoi fought “numerous injuries” throughout his sophomore season, according to the Sharks, however previous basic supervisor Doug Wilson applauded his “aggressive, hard-working effort in all 3 zones” when the Sharks extended him for 2 years in 2017.
But those injuries ultimately intensified to thwart his profession.
Tiia Honkamaa, reporting for the Finnish outlet Jatkoaika, stated in January that Donskoi had actually not had the ability to practice because hitting a Seattle Kraken colleague throughout a preseason video game versus the Vancouver Canucks.
Since then, Donskoi struggled with consistent vision issues, vertigo and headaches, Honkamaa reported.
Several other NHL veterans, consisting of previous No. 1 choice Rick Nash in 2019 and two-time Stanley Cup champ Andrew Shaw in 2021, have actually mentioned concussions as the motivation behind their retirement.
