Jesse Matias Joensuu (born 5 October 1987) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey winger who finished his career with Porin ÃÂssät of the SM-liiga. Joensuu served as the team's captain for the 2023âÂÂ24 season.
Joensuu has previously played for the New York Islanders and the Edmonton Oilers in the National Hockey League (NHL)
Joensuu, who previously played in ÃÂssät's junior teams, played his professional SM-liiga debut with ÃÂssät against SaiPa in September 2003 when he was only 15 years old. In his debut season, Joensuu played in six games with the representative team. In the following season, Joensuu had an almost constant spot as a winger in the fourth line and he played 39 matches, in which he scored one goal and assisted one. Although the expected quick breakthrough did not come, Joensuu's role in the ÃÂssät team grew year by year.
The NHL club New York Islanders drafted Joensuu in the second round of the 2006 draft at number 60. In 2007, the Islanders sent a coach to Pori to refine Joensuu's skating technique with private lessons.
In his last SM-liiga season (2007âÂÂ08), the now 20-year-old Joensuu lived up to expectations and scored plenty of points despite the ÃÂssät's placement at the bottom of the league. Joensuu was also chosen once as the best young player in the SM-liiga. After selling the team's number one center, Toni Häppölä, Joensuu became ÃÂssät's best scorer.
After his season with ÃÂssät, Joensuu played one game with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.
In the spring of 2008, Joensuu signed a three-year contract with the Islanders. Joensuu started the 2008âÂÂ09 season on the affiliate team in Bridgeport in the AHL, although he managed to appear in a few training games in the Islanders' jersey. Joensuu was placed into the Islanders lineup on March 2, 2009 for a match against the Colorado Avalanche in which scored a goal in his first NHL game.
In the 2010âÂÂ2011 season, Joensuu finally played more games in the NHL than in the AHL, despite his two-way contract. He made his season debut with the Islanders on November 20 in a home game in a losing cause against the Florida Panthers. He received a two-way contract offer from the Islanders in order for the Islanders to retain his player rights.
On 1 July 2011, Joensuu left the Islanders organization as a restricted free agent and signed a two-year deal with Swedish club HV71 of the Elitserien. With the intention of developing his offense as a power forward Joensuu scored 29 points in 50 games during the 2011âÂÂ12 season.
Joensuu, with a clause for release from HV71 to the NHL, opted a return to the Islanders on a one-year deal on 15 June 2012. With the impending 2012âÂÂ13 NHL lockout taking affect, Joensuu signed a contract for the duration of the dispute with hometown team ÃÂssät on 18 September 2012. At the end of the SM-liiga season, ÃÂssät won the Kanada-malja championship.
On 5 July 2013, Joensuu signed as a free agent to a two-year contract to return to the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers. During the final season of his contract in 2014âÂÂ15 season, and unable to secure a position on the checking lines of the struggling Oilers, Joensuu was loaned to Swiss club, SC Bern on 12 December 2014, for the remainder of the campaign.
For the 2015âÂÂ2016 season, Joensuu signed a two-year contract with the KHL team Jokerit. In November 2016, Joensuu signed a three-year contract extension with the club that lasted until spring 2020. In April 2020, Joensuu signed a two-year contract extension with the team.
In April 2022, Jesse Joensuu's hometown club Porin ÃÂssät announced that they had signed a two-year contract with Joensuu. He became the ÃÂssät captain. Joensuu played a full season of 60 games and scored 19 points.
Joensuu continued as the captain of ÃÂssät for the 2023âÂÂ24 SM-liiga season. After the team's season ended, Joensuu announced his retirement.
Joensuu played football for Musan Salama as a junior. He is the son of Finnish association football manager Jouni Joensuu.